The Rise of the Legend
by MerlinStar
Summary: Merlin and Arthur must now face the final steps to their destiny, but with Vortigern and Morgana closing in, things are far from certain, especially with many other problems. Sequel to the Warlock's Calling with Merlin/Freya and Arthur/Gwen. T to be safe
1. Prologue

**A/N:****  
**

_Hello, writers and readers! I'm sorry to say that MerlinStar has decided to stop writing fanfiction, but has given me permission to carry on her account for her. You may, however, know of me if you have read 'Window to the Past' and 'The Warlock's Calling' as MerlinStar kindly posted them for me. I will however continue to use the alias of MerlinStar__._ Again, apologies for the change but I will continue to write as much fanfiction as possible, though updates may be few and far in between. Further warning- I am rubbish at one-shots so you'll have to bare with me for most of my stuff. Anyway, here is the promised sequel to 'The Warlock's Calling', so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer for all chapters:- The BBC own all Merlin characters and no infringement of copyright is meant.

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**Prologue**

She walked through the neglected grass, her footsteps muffled, and her dress flaring out behind her. The sky was pitch black and cloudy, a perfect reflection of her mood. Her usually beautiful face was hidden by a mask of anger, which gently began to show traces of sadness as she stared at the crystal-like cocoon that encased another, only just hanging onto life. The cocoon was the only thing that could save the encased woman, along with very powerful magic.

Muttering a spell, she turned away from it and paced around the stretch of wild garden, surrounded by crumbling pillars. Schemes of vengeance formed in her head as she walked, each as satisfying as the next, and each as seemingly impossible. She knew that there was only one person to blame for this and she had recently become wary of them.

At that moment, she sensed something inside her stir and at the same time felt it reverberate in everything around her and beyond. Staring at the sky, she wondered at its meaning. What could create such a disturbance that could touch her and somehow fill her with a few seconds of joy?

Miles away, in another kingdom, another person, not exactly human, had felt the same disturbance. She knew that it had touched the entire world and she understood what was happening. Her family's insight gave her the knowledge. She smiled at that piece of wisdom for it would shape the future of the earth. Far away but in the same kingdom, powerful magic was being created.

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_Please, please comment. Virtual hugs will be given out and I welcome any comment/constructive criticism._

_MerlinStar_


	2. Chapter 1

_Please keep reviewing. It is very helpful._

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**Chapter 1**

Arthur was sitting in his room, twirling a sword in his hands.

It had been two months since his manservant, Merlin, had died right in front of him but had then come back to life. Arthur couldn't help but remember those final seconds before Merlin had died because of the wounds inflicted by a dragon Morgana and Morgause had conjured. Then he reminded himself that Merlin was alive and was still the same idiot as ever.

He felt yet another rush of anger at Morgana. Every time he thought of her, betrayal, anger and pain weighed heavy on him. She had betrayed them all and now, two months later, the entire city knew about it and they all had trouble understanding why. Gwen in particular had at first refused to believe that Morgana was now a sorceress bent on destroying Camelot.

Arthur then thought about what had happened afterwards. Ma'ab had said her goodbyes as she had made it clear that it was her time and then Freya had given him Excalibur, which was currently in his hands.

Both Merlin and Arthur had decided that Excalibur should be kept hidden. If anyone found it, who knew what would happen, so they decided to keep it in the prince's chambers in a hole in the wall hidden by a brick. Arthur had taken it out of its home to briefly look at it. There was no denying that, even though it was just a sword, it was beautiful; and it sang even when motionless.

Turning his mind back to Merlin and Freya, Arthur couldn't help but smile. He knew that almost every night, Merlin sneaked out of Camelot to go to the lake. After he had seen Merlin crossing the courtyard a couple of times, Gaius had actually told him about the boy's night time wonderings, and although the warlock was usually exhausted in the mornings he was a lot happier than Arthur had seen him in a long time.

Their friendship had changed slightly over the last couple of months as well. Even though there was still the being a prince and servant thing, Arthur felt that they were both being a lot more open with each other than ever before. He was still slightly bossy, but Arthur hoped that Merlin saw that he was trying to be playful instead of arrogant and rude. They were friends now and there was no denying it. Merlin was also a lot more open with his magic. Arthur still couldn't believe that the warlock had managed to hide that from him but now it seemed to be a natural part of life. The prince would sometimes watch Merlin use magic to do his chores but he noticed that Merlin was rather wary when he did so. And the prince could understand why; if Merlin was caught by anyone else then he would be executed for sure.

At that moment the door swung open and Arthur saw Merlin standing in the doorway.

"Dear God Merlin," the prince said. "You're actually early for once."

"Don't get used to it, I'm sure I'll still be late quite a lot of the time," the warlock said, smiling.

"Oh well, I suppose I'm used to it by now. How's Freya?"

"She's fine, though she still doesn't like that she can't really leave water. She actually told me to say hi to you."

"I guess it is my fault she's like that," Arthur muttered, guiltily.

"Arthur, please don't start that again. Freya is thankful in a way; she doesn't have to keep looking over her shoulder and she isn't hunted."

"But she can't live like a normal human."

"Arthur, I know you were the one who killed her but you can't keep beating yourself up about it. I thought Freya made it quite clear that she was fine – sort of fine – with it."

Arthur sighed. The night that Freya had returned, Arthur had told both her and Merlin how sorry he was for being the one who had killed her. The druid girl - though Arthur wasn't sure if that was what she was any more- had told him that she didn't hate him in the slightest and was just happy that she and Merlin were together again.

Arthur had noticed the look that Merlin and Freya had given each other; it had been so caring and loving. He hadn't been able to help feeling slightly jealous of how open the pair could be about their feelings. What would people think, especially Uther, if they knew of the Crown Prince's love for a serving girl?

"Arthur, why did you take Excalibur out of the wall?" Merlin asked, breaking the silence.

"I was wondering what these symbols were. I don't even know what language it is," Arthur replied.

"One side says 'take me up' and the other says 'cast me away'."

"I should have guessed you can read it."

"They're Old English runes; Gaius leant me a book on them once."

"I might want to have a look at that."

"Huh?"

"You never know I might be faced with something like this someday and I might need to read it because for all I know it could be a curse."

Merlin raised his eyebrows at his interest. "Arthur, it's in the runes but also in the language. Those runes don't literally say-"

"It was just an idea."

There was an awkward pause for a few moments before Merlin changed the subject.

"Is your father still sending out search parties?"

"Yes, but I told him it was a waste of time. Morgana is now a sorceress and it's more than likely that she's able to cover her tracks and the same goes for Morgause."

"Have they tried to get to the castle where we found Morgause?"

"A couple of men tried but they found nothing apart from a deserted fort."

"So no one has any idea where they could have gone."

"Well we can't send men into other kingdoms. It might look like we were declaring war..."

"But what if they're using that to their advantage? Was Morgana born somewhere outside the kingdom?"

"No, father told me she was born here in Camelot but she lived in a castle on the coast called Tintagel."

"And has anyone checked there?"

"Merlin, the castle was passed on to Morgana's cousin, Sir Kay and yes we have checked. Sir Kay is well aware of the situation and I don't think he'd hide Morgana. He hates magic almost as much as my father."

"Really?"

Arthur sighed. "There was... a nasty incident that killed his mother. Some renegade sorcerers attacked her and her party as they were heading back home from here. Morgana was only a few years old when it happened."

"Well, we shouldn't rule that out."

"Do you think they could be invisible?" the prince questioned.

Merlin shivered.

"I hope not. They'd be cursing us all in our sleep."

"Don't even say that. For all we know it could be true."

"And have you heard anything about Vortigern?"

Arthur was slightly taken aback by this turn in conversation but he could understand. Vortigern had killed Merlin's mother after all and, to both of their horror, it turned out that Hunith had been Vortigern's younger sister, who had been hidden at birth by Vortigern's mother's maid and taken in by Gaius and his parents. Gaius, Merlin and Arthur had no idea if Hunith had been aware that she had been adopted.

The prince still had troubling trying to associate Merlin, the clumsy manservant, with his uncle, a brutal tyrant who was hell bent on taking over Camelot. Merlin himself did not want to even think of the man as his uncle after what he had done, both to his mother and to Camelot. Arthur had to admit that Gaius had been more of an uncle towards Merlin than Vortigern ever could. Indeed, the prince was slightly envious of the father-son relationship the two shared.

Vortigern, yet unaware that Merlin had magic, had tried to force the warlock to join him. However, now that Vortigern knew that Merlin was the son of the Dragonlord Balinor, Arthur wasn't sure if he was still keen to tempt him. Vortigern had proclaimed the family of Merlin's great-uncle Evander as sworn enemies because Evander had defeated him for Uther.

Now Vortigern, Morgana and Morgause knew about Merlin's magic but Arthur was sure that they had no idea just how powerful he was. For Merlin had taken Ma'ab's place as the Leader of the Old Religion and this combined with the fact that he was a warlock and the last Dragonlord (the three knew about this) made Merlin possibly the most powerful being in existence. Arthur felt slightly humbled to see someone with all of that power do things like wash somebody else's socks or clean their armour. The prince had always laughed when Merlin complained about his chores but now he could sympathise. He also realised that Merlin's complaints could be a lot worse. The boy was too good.

Vortigern had also formed an alliance with the two sorceresses, which practically doubled the problem. All three could attack when it was least expected, though Arthur had to admit his father wasn't about to drop Camelot's defences anytime soon.

Shaking the thoughts away, he answered "No, meaning that he's licking his wounds. You got away from him twice so you can bet that he's plotting something. We'll know about it when he does." Arthur stood up and went to put Excalibur back in its place in the wall as to not see the pain in Merlin's face. It wasn't that he didn't mind Merlin be a bit more open, it was just that Arthur wasn't sure about how to deal with things in these situations.

"He might just lay siege to Camelot with Morgana and Morgause's help."

"Well you did injure Morgause so..." He stopped when he saw Merlin's face. Arthur could tell that Merlin had regretted letting the magic get the better of him, even for a split second. Morgause may be a sworn enemy but Arthur knew that Merlin had never meant to harm her like that.

"If Morgause is still injured then Morgana will be furious," Merlin muttered. "But I'm sort of more concerned about Vortigern because he does have Sindri and Lamya and a few more sorcerers under his control."

"What exactly can Lamya do?" Arthur asked. "You mentioned Sindri's abilities but you never said anything about his sister."

Merlin shivered. "Lamya can hit someone with all the emotions they've recently felt."

"But that would kill the person!"

"I think that's what she mainly uses it for. She could cause some serious problems."

"You don't say! Can she do it to more than one person at a time?"

"I've no idea."

There was a sudden scream that echoed up to the open window. Arthur and Merlin stared at each other before simultaneously running to see what was happening outside. From the window, they could see people hurrying towards the front gate.

"What now?" Arthur shouted and ran from the room, Merlin quick to follow him.

When the pair reached the front gate, they found that Uther and Gaius were already there.

"What happened?" Arthur demanded. "Has someone attacked?"

"No," Gaius explained. "But they made it quite clear that they are no friend." He pointed to the boundary wall. Prince and servant looked at and their mouths dropped open.

Burning on the wall was some sort of crest, much like the one that could still be seen on Merlin's door after Ma'ab had put it there. But instead of a word it was some sort of pattern.

"What _is_ that?" Merlin asked Gaius, still staring at the mark, as Arthur walked up to his father.

"It's the family crest of Gorlois."

"Gorlois? As in Morgana's father?"

"Yes."

"So this is a warning."

"That or it's some way for them to watch us. We'll have to be very careful until we manage to get that off the wall."

"Gaius, Ma'ab's dead and we still haven't managed to get _her_ mark off the door!"

Arthur appeared back beside him.

"Father wants me to go and look outside the city for any sign of Morgana or Morgause. Why he thinks Morgause is connected to this burn when it's the crest of Morgana's family, I have no idea."

"I don't think any of us do, Sire," Gaius lied. He knew all about it but he couldn't tell anyone, not even Merlin. Gaius didn't just keep Merlin or Uther's secrets. Over the years he had had many people confide in him.

"Merlin, go and saddle the horses, I'll be there in a moment," Arthur muttered to the warlock. Merlin nodded. It was times like this that you couldn't complain.

Walking back down the street, he bumped into Gwen.

"Merlin, what happened?"

"Morgana's family crest has been burnt into the wall," he explained, noticing the look of hurt crossing her face. Gwen was one of the people who were still having trouble excepting Morgana's choice to become evil. She had been Morgana's friend after all, despite being her maid. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. She... she made her choice. What's Uther doing about it?"

"Arthur and I are going to look in the forest for a bit."

Gwen nodded and smiled. "Make sure you're careful. I know how reckless the pair of you can be."

"More him than me," Merlin muttered. Gwen laughed and Merlin carried on towards the stable. Making sure that nobody was in there and that the door and window were shut, Merlin muttered an incantation so that the horses would be saddled more quickly. Within a minute, Arthur arrived.

"Merlin," he asked, "you didn't use... you know? I can tell because you take more than a few minutes to get the horses ready."

"Yes," Merlin replied. Arthur rubbed his forehead.

"You need to be more careful," he muttered. "If anybody had walked in then you'd be up for execution by the end of the day, no matter if you're the Leader of the Old Religion. In fact, that wouldn't help at all; it would only make my father more determined to kill you. And you also said something about magic gaining perspective on good and evil and about how that should never happen."

"It nearly did. The earth just brought me back but I don't think it will do it again."

"Do you think you could be bled to death again?" It was alarming how quickly the conversation could turn to magic – powerful magic even - at the moment. "I thought you said that once you had fully received your powers then you couldn't die until you were old."

"That's what happened with Ma'ab. So unless I get stabbed in the next few months-"

"Merlin, don't change the conversation. I don't want you to end up dead because you were careless."

"Alright, I'm sorry." Merlin knew that Arthur didn't like talking or thinking about what had happened just as much as he did. Both had suffered and lost people, in different ways. Arthur had been cursed twice and he still had the scar on his hand from where Ma'ab's goblet had burnt him. Ma'ab's magic, though intentionally good had quite a lasting effect on the pair of them. Merlin had also lost most of his family and both had felt the loss when Morgana had finally resurfaced as an evil sorceress, though it had been somewhat worse for Arthur.

"Can I give you some advice?" Arthur asked. Merlin raised his eyebrows. Arthur rarely tried to offer him advice. "Don't use magic unless we're alone in my chambers, you're practising at Gaius' or you're in the forest with Freya."

"In other words, with supervision," Merlin muttered.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know; if your father finds out, I'm dead."

"He may still be slightly suspicious. I'm not sure if he believed that I got you away before the ritual."

Arthur sighed and jumped onto his horse then nudged its flanks. Merlin climbed onto his own and followed Arthur out of the stables and towards the forest.

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_The next chapter will have more happening, I promise, including a monstrous creature. I hope you're enjoying it so far._

_Merlin Star  
_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I think we should have brought a couple of the knights," Merlin whispered into the eerie stillness.

"It's just precautionary," Arthur explained. "I don't think Morgana, Morgause or whoever put that mark there has stayed around."

"Yeah but who knows what's in here. They may have left something behind."

"I think we would have heard anything by now."

"They wouldn't conjure a dragon again. They've done that already so they'll move on to something else..."

"Yeah, a cross between a dragon and a hydra."

"That would take a _really_ twisted mind."

"You don't think those two aren't twisted?"

"Arthur, they may be evil but they aren't twisted. I've seen twisted before when that knight was brought back from the dead."

"Speaking of which, now that I come to think of it, when Ma'ab made me fall asleep I only dreamed about you asking the dragon to burnish it and then the fight with my father. A bit odd really."

Merlin didn't say anything. Judging by what he had just said, Arthur had no idea that the wraith had been his uncle; and Merlin wasn't planning on telling him any time soon. There was also another secret Merlin had to keep from him, though he regretted having to. When Arthur had thought that his father had used magic at Arthur's birth, therefore killing his wife, Ygraine, the prince had tried to kill him. Merlin had had to lie to his friend to stop Arthur from making such a mistake and he didn't want anything like that to happen again. Ma'ab had thankfully honoured that decision.

"So are we just going to wonder around the forest until dusk?" Merlin asked. "Your father may have gotten rid of the curfew after the dragon first attacked Camelot but I don't think it's a good idea if we hang around."

"Don't tell me you're scared."

"No, I just think that this is a bit pointless."

"In other words, you're nervous."

"I am not."

Suddenly, they heard a scuffling noise from up ahead. Arthur drew his sword and dismounted, hiding behind a tree. Merlin did the same and crept up behind Arthur.

"Can you see what it is?" he asked Arthur.

"No, but whatever it is, it's heading this way," Arthur whispered back. After a few seconds, the pair heard something come through the undergrowth.

"It's a unicorn," Arthur said.

"What? But they don't live in this part of the forest."

"Uh, Merlin, can unicorns have dark brown flanks?"

"I don't think so. Are you sure it hasn't got wings; it might be a Pegasus."

"A what?"

"A winged horse. Gaius has this book on creatures and he showed me a few pages; one of them was on the Pegasi."

"It hasn't got wings. Hang on, how big do unicorns get?"

"They only grow to the size of a fully grown horse."

Arthur's face paled slightly.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"I actually don't think that's a unicorn," Arthur muttered. His statement was answered by a thunderous roar that shocked the pair of them. Merlin swore that it shook the ground beneath them.

"Run," Arthur muttered.

"Sorry?"

"It's coming towards us, so RUN!" Arthur dragged Merlin away. He couldn't understand why Arthur was running. Arthur was a hunter by nature and he never ran away from his prey.

That was when they heard the crashing sound of a tree being torn from the ground and ripped in two, both pieces falling to the floor. Glancing back briefly, Merlin saw the monstrous form of a bull with a curved horn protruding from its head, running right at them.

That was when Merlin felt the ground disappear beneath his feet and he and Arthur went tumbling down into a ditch, landing on their backs.

Arthur moaned.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked in a panic.

"I just sprained my ankle," Arthur snarled, trying to get back to his feet but failing. They could both hear the creature gaining on them by the second.

"Come on Arthur." Merlin grabbed Arthur's arm and hooked it over his shoulder, pulling the prince to his feet. Hobbling out of the ditch and receiving many scratches from the sharp, overhanging branches, Merlin led Arthur a safe distance away until he stopped and turned to face the creature.

"Merlin, are you crazy?" Arthur hissed as he fell back on his backside.

"Trust me," Merlin said.

The creature skidded down the slope and clambered out of the ditch without any problems. It then turned to Merlin and began to run at him, horn glinting wickedly in the sunlight.

Casting his eyes around for some sort of weapon, Merlin's eyes fell on Arthur's sword.

"Arthur, I need your sword." Not waiting for Arthur to answer, Merlin grabbed it and threw it to the ground. Arthur thought that Merlin had lost his mind.

Merlin raised his hand over the sword and yelled a spell. The sword shot off the ground and collided with the beast's side, lodging itself there. The bull let out another thunderous bellow before it keeled over and went still.

The warlock went back to Arthur and helped him up.

"You had me thinking that you were about to let it run us through with its horn," Arthur said.

"As if I would."

"You may need to warn me when you're going to do something like that again. I've got no problem with the magic; it's just you put the sword on the ground. What did you do that for?"

"I'm still getting used to... you know, the power. I didn't want to drag myself with it."

"I don't think you would've. I should know that you can control stuff like that now, never mind how powerful you are."

Merlin grinned. He was glad that Arthur knew about his magic.

"I'm not too keen about trying to get my sword out of that thing," Arthur said.

"I'll come back for it later. We need to get you to Gaius."

"Merlin, it's just a sprained ankle."

"It could be broken for all you know."

"Alright, fine. God this is going to be embarrassing."

"No, it won't. As far as they'll know you've just returned from searching the forest and we were attacked by a beast and you were injured whilst killing it."

"Merlin, _you_ were the one that killed it."

"Yeah, but with you it's more believable. You have been hunting for half of your life."

"Doesn't mean we can't make it sound like I was trying to kill it and you snuck up on it. You did that with the black dragon."

"And I barely hurt it. Let's just say that you killed it."

"I thought you'd like being the hero."

"Trust me; I don't. All I really wanted was not to have to hide."

Arthur was giving him an odd look.

"Okay, we really need to get you back to the city," Merlin said.

"There is no way I'm going back with my arm around your shoulder."

"Would you prefer to crawl to the horses?"

Muttering incoherently to himself, Arthur let Merlin support him and lead him back to where the horses had been, only to find that they had vanished. Arthur swore and Merlin raised an eyebrow at him.

"They must have run off when they heard the creature roar," Arthur said.

"It was more of a bellow," Merlin corrected.

"Roar, bellow, I don't care. The horses were spooked, that's all there is to it. Now we'll have to walk back."

"Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"I'll have to."

The pair turned back towards the castle, Arthur still gripping onto Merlin's shoulder.

"Arthur."

"What?"

"About the knights- I hate to say it, but I told you so."

"Shut up Merlin."

* * *

Gaius looked up from Arthur's foot, which had turned red and had swelled.

"You're lucky that it's only a sprain," he said. "You just need to rest it until tomorrow."

"You call that lucky," Arthur mumbled.

"Well at least that thing didn't spear us both with its horn," Merlin said from the table.

"It looks like Morgana and Morgause are being openly hostile with us now," Gaius said.

"I did say that we should have brought a few of the knights."

"Merlin, I told you to shut up," Arthur said. The warlock just shrugged his shoulders.

At that moment, the door flew open and Uther came storming in, looking clearly worried.

"Arthur?"

"I'm fine, Father, it's only a sprain."

"What happened?" Uther asked, turning to Merlin.

"We were attacked by some sort of creature," Merlin explained, feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't every day that the king spoke to him.

"What was it?"

"At first we thought it was a unicorn but then it charged at us and it turned out to be some sort of... horned bull. Arthur killed it but his ankle..."

"Do you have any idea what manner of creature it was, Gaius?"

"I've heard of a couple of bull species with horns like a unicorn but I need a bit more to go on," Gaius said. "Merlin, was there anything else unusual about it?"

"When it bellowed, the ground shook," Merlin said. Gaius seemed to need no more information.

"I've heard about this type of creature before. You were very lucky to escape."

Merlin and Arthur looked at each other. Uther noticed this but thought nothing of it. He had no idea that Merlin had made an exceptionally easy job of the beast.

"The creature you faced was a Karakadon," Gaius explained. "They tend to avoid human settlements but every so often a human or two come across them and they get very territorial. Their horn can pierce anything and their breath is said to be able to paralyse any creature. Most animals are terrified by them. They do not live in this region."

"Then what is one doing in this kingdom?" Uther asked. He immediately put two and two together.

"We believe that Morgana and Morgause put it there," Arthur said, reading his father's face. "It makes sense after that mark they left on the wall."

"Very well," Uther said. "I must go and see to matters." He left immediately.

"He's still finding it hard to accept, isn't he?" Merlin said to Arthur, looking after the king.

"He would," Arthur said, "He was looking after Morgana ever since she was ten. I was seven when she first came here."

"Is your foot still hurting?" Merlin asked, deliberately changing the conversation.

Arthur looked back down at his swollen ankle.

"Not much. I'll try walking back to my chambers."

"Sire, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Gaius said.

"I'll make it. I can't exactly stay in your room; I'd just get in the way." Arthur pushed himself off the bed and, with Merlin's help, hobbled out of the room and towards his chambers.

"This is only the beginning," Merlin said. "They'll try other ways to kill us all and so will Vortigern."

"I expect that we'll be hearing from all three of them pretty soon," Arthur said. "Why did you tell my father that I killed it?"

"We agreed that we would."

"More like you said you would but I didn't say yes. One day I'm going to shine the light on you Merlin and you won't be able to slip away from it."

"Thanks." Merlin sounded far from enthusiastic.

"There's actually something I want to say," Arthur said. Merlin frowned. "But I can't until we're back in my chambers. My father would have a heart attack if he heard about it."

"Can you give me a clue?"

"No."

"You really are a prat."

"How?"

"You're no fun at all."

Arthur snorted.

"I didn't realise we were playing a game where I needed skill in the area of fun."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

When they reached Arthur's quarters, Merlin helped him over to a chair and closed the door, watching as Arthur made himself comfortable.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Merlin asked. Arthur looked him straight in the eye.

"I may not be that wise yet but I'm already thinking about some changes I want to make when I become King."

"You may be a prat but you're doing alright for a prince," Merlin joked.

"Merlin, why do I have to constantly tell you to shut up today?"

"Sorry. You were saying..."

"After what I've seen over the last few months with you and your magic I've thought of another of my father's laws I'm going to change."

"Which one are you already going to change?"

"Merlin!" Merlin held his hands up but was quiet.

"When I am king, I am going to allow magic back into the kingdom." Merlin's eyes widened at this.

"You're... you're serious?" he asked.

"Of course I am. I've come to accept that magic isn't inherently evil; it's only the people who use it. I don't want you to live the rest of your life in hiding, nor anyone else who uses magic for good. I also think it's the reason why most people attack us, like that Collins woman and Edwin. They'd both lost people they loved because of my father's laws."

"Are you sure that this isn't some sort of joke?"

"Merlin, I'm serious."

"You're never serious with me."

"I am... sometimes. I was serious when I sacked you a couple of years ago."

"And look where I am now." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"We can't tell anyone about this, can we," Merlin said.

"You can tell Gaius."

"Yeah." Merlin suddenly seemed distant but then grinned at Arthur. "Can I leave? I'm going to see Freya again."

Arthur was slightly stunned and called to Merlin just as the warlock reached the door.

"When was the last time you talked to Gaius?" he asked.

"Just now," Merlin replied, frowning at the prince, "when I was telling him about the Karakadon."

"I mean when was the last time you talked to him about something apart from Camelot's problems?"

"I..."

"Merlin, I've seen you. You sometimes avoid eye-contact with him and you only speak to him when necessary. You spend every night with Freya."

"I don't."

"When was the last time you slept in your own bed?"

"A few days ago."

"That was when I told you to polish my armour and sword. Merlin, I know you miss your mother but that doesn't mean you have to be angry with Gaius because he never told either of you that she was adopted."

Merlin looked hurt and gazed at the floor.

"Unless you think he blames you." Arthur had suddenly realised this and from Merlin's face, he knew it was the truth. "Merlin, how many times do you have to be told, it's not your fault. How can you even think that? Vortigern's to blame. Gaius loves you as if you were his own son and he doesn't blame you for anything."

Merlin stood there for a few seconds before turning around and running out of the room. Arthur cursed and limped to the door. Looking both ways, he couldn't see which Merlin had gone. Sighing, the prince hobbled back to the chair.

He had recently noticed that Merlin and Gaius' relationship had begun to be dysfunctional. It was Gwen who had opened his eyes in the first place. She had seen Merlin and Gaius walking through the streets, collecting their usual stuff but she noticed that Merlin was rather tense and had only answered a question Gaius had asked him in a few words. She had also noticed the eye-contact thing. Gaius had also looked slightly upset. Once Gwen had told him, Arthur, what was going on both had made a pact to keep an eye on things. Arthur had just said what he needed to before things became irreversible.

The prince sat in silence, thinking about what to do next.

* * *

Merlin walked through the trees, the unearthly silence dense around him, trying not to think about what Arthur had just told him, though to the warlock it was as if he had shouted. How on earth Arthur had seen that, he had no idea.

The warlock realised he had to get a grip of himself before some of the magic inside him suddenly exploded out of him. He didn't want another incident like the one with Morgause. He was still getting used to this particular part of his destiny. Merlin sometimes felt that he hadn't been ready for this.

Up ahead, he could see the lake and he felt a flutter of happiness as he saw a figure standing at the water's edge, looking out at the distant mountains. Merlin walked up behind Freya.

"I could always find a couple of cows," he whispered in her ear. Freya turned around and smiled at him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, kissing him full on the mouth. "I heard about the Karakadon."

"Did you hear its bellow? That thing caused an earthquake."

"No, Avalon was whispering with rumours. I hope you and Arthur weren't hurt."

"The only thing that was wounded was Arthur's pride. He didn't like it when I had to support him back to the castle. He'd sprained his ankle."

Freya sighed. Merlin sat down on the bank and Freya did the same. Merlin pulled off his boots and socks and let the water lap away at his feet.

"I always thought you were more of a fire person," Freya said, smiling.

"Doesn't mean I can't cool off once in a while." The pair laughed.

"Has something else happened?" Freya asked. "You seem sad."

"I'm fine."

"Merlin, you really are a bad liar when it comes to your own emotions."

Merlin looked out at the lake.

"Arthur was just talking to me about Gaius."

"What did he say?"

"He said he knows that Gaius and I have become distant."

"Let me guess, you think Gaius is angry with you about your mother."

Merlin chuckled.

"You'd definitely get on with Arthur if you spent more time with him."

"Merlin, you can't keep blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault and you can't think that others are angry at you."

"I honestly wouldn't blame Gaius." Merlin drew his feet out of the water

"Merlin, I think you should talk to him; tell him how you feel."

"I can't. I just feel like I'm going down a path and nobody can help." He bowed his head slightly.

"Is this because Vortigern is your uncle? You're not him. You are so much more than he is. You could never do what he does; you're too good."

"That's only part of it."

"If it's because you feel that you have to choose between me and him-"

"No, of course not!"

"Then what's making you so distant with him? You may be the Leader of the Old Religion but that means that you need all of your friends. Ma'ab told me that she'd foreseen a battle for the future of this kingdom."

"I don't think she mentioned this."

"She may not have but it involves all of your enemies, and there was something to do with a boy."

"Mordred?"

"She didn't say his name. Who is he?"

Merlin breathed through his nose.

"Kilgharrah once told me that he would be the one who kills Arthur. He said that if I helped the boy then Arthur would die but I did anyway," he explained.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you. You want to help those like you and the boy seemed to be an innocent."

"Only now he isn't."

"We'll just have to make sure that he doesn't get anywhere near Arthur then."

Freya placed her head on Merlin's shoulder and wrapped her arms around one of his. Merlin smiled at her.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Arthur woke up to the sun shining through a gap in the curtain. Blinking against the light, he threw the covers off himself and gingerly stood up. He was glad to find that his ankle no longer hurt.

Not bothering to just lie there and wait for Merlin to turn up, the prince dressed himself. If Merlin was with Freya then that meant that he could carry out his plan. Arthur knew that he and his father would never be that close, but he wasn't happy just to watch Gaius and Merlin's relationship deteriorate until it was something close to what the prince and the king shared.

Many would question what the prince was about to do for his servant, but Arthur knew that not many would understand he had finally come to accept Merlin as his friend. Merlin had helped him so many times so now it was Arthur's turn to help the warlock.

Getting dressed in a hurry, Arthur locked the door that led out of the back of his chambers and ran out of the room, speeding down the empty corridors. He soon reached the courtyard and hurried on to the door that led to Gaius and Merlin's quarters.

Knowing that Gaius would still be asleep, Arthur opened the door without knocking. He went over to the sleeping physician and shook him awake.

"Arthur?" Gaius said, groggily. "Do you need some tonic for your ankle?"

"No, my ankle's fine. I need you to get dressed and come to my chambers; it's about Merlin."

"Is he alright?" The old man practically jumped upright, worry on his face.

"He needs help."

Arthur waited outside in the corridor until Gaius was ready.

"Is he ill? I could bring some pain relievers."

"He's not ill as such. I don't know how to put it."

The pair hurried along the passageways and ended up outside Arthur's chambers.

"Can you wait in there, please Gaius?" Arthur said. "I just need to go and fetch him."

"Wouldn't he still be with Freya?"

"No, he's here. That's when something happened to him." Arthur felt a bit wrong lying to Gaius but he knew that it was necessary. "I just need to fetch him, unless he's decided to walk around."

Arthur left and ran back towards the courtyard. On the stairs outside, he met Merlin, looking tired but incredibly flustered.

"I can't be late," Merlin panted. "Nobody's up yet."

"Merlin, I don't care about you being early or late," Arthur whispered. "Something's wrong with Gaius."

"What?" Merlin said, looking horrified.

"He came early to check on my ankle, which is fine before you ask, and whilst he was just doing a sort of check up... I don't know. All I know is that he's not right."

"You left him on his own!" Merlin exclaimed.

"I had to find you."

"Oh God." Merlin ran up the stairs and Arthur followed, right behind him. The prince couldn't help but smile to himself. His plan was going well so far.

When the pair reached Arthur's chambers, Merlin threw the door open and his expression of fear turned to surprise.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Gaius asked.

"Am I alright?" Merlin said in shock. "Are you alright? Arthur said..."

Merlin turned to Arthur who shrugged and slammed the door shut then locked it.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted, banging on the wood.

"Neither of you are coming out until you sort things out," Arthur called through the door. "You've both had me and Gwen worried for the last couple of months and it's about time you spoke to each other. Don't even bother trying to get out the back way; it's locked and there are a couple of guards outside. I'm not moving anywhere until you two sort out your problems."

Merlin kicked the door moodily before turning back to Gaius, looking at the floor.

"How did Gwen know?" he muttered.

"She _is_ rather perceptive," Gaius said, "so she could have sensed that something was wrong."

"She most likely told Arthur considering what a prat he is."

Gaius chuckled quietly.

"I'm sorry Gaius," Merlin said. Gaius watched as Merlin wiped his eyes quickly with his sleeve. "I'm sorry for everything."

Gaius sat down on a chair and pulled one up for Merlin. The warlock went over to it but refused to look up from the floor.

"Merlin, what do you think you have to feel sorry for? You have nothing to feel bad about."

"Don't I? I keep failing to save the people I care about."

"Merlin, is this about your mother?"

Merlin didn't answer.

"Merlin, I don't blame you for what happened. You couldn't-"

"That's part of the reason. I couldn't. I never can. I can't save the people I love. Knowing me will end up killing you. I wouldn't blame you if you thought it was my entire fault."

"Merlin-"

"Gaius, I couldn't bare it if you died because of me. And I'm going somewhere where nobody understands. My life is just... too messed up."

Gaius gave Merlin a stern look.

"Merlin, Arthur is right, you can be an idiot. I would never dream of blaming you for Vortigern killing Hunith. And knowing you won't get anyone killed. People make choices and they have to live with their own consequences. Nobody else is at fault for somebody's own choices. I know nobody could ever understand what it is you're going through and what you've been through but you cannot shut yourself away from the world. Arthur, Freya and I want to help you in any way we can. I've said it before, you are the only person I care about in this world and you are the son I never had."

"All those people still died because of me."

"You have done whatever is necessary to protect this kingdom and Arthur. Surely someone has told you by now how good it is."

"A couple of people," the warlock admitted grudgingly.

Gaius put a hand on his shoulder. Merlin finally looked up.

"Merlin, you have repeatedly saved people who you don't even know; you've risked your life for them and for Arthur, Gwen and me. You were willing to suffer Uther's wrath for us. You are purely good. That's partly why you're feeling all of this."

Merlin sighed. "I'm sorry about how I've been acting recently, Gaius."

Gaius stood up and hugged Merlin. Merlin responded automatically as he felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"Are we alright now?" the old man asked.

"Yeah," Merlin muttered and smiled.

"Do you think Arthur will let us out now?"

"Only if we ask politely."

The pair went to the door and Merlin knocked. They waited until they heard the turn of a key in the lock and Arthur poked his head inside.

"Have you two talked?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Yep," Merlin said.

"Alright then. It's a bit early so why don't you go and have breakfast before everybody else wakes up."

Merlin and Gaius gave him a weird look as they walked down the corridor.

"I must say, Arthur has changed in the last couple of months," Gaius said.

"I think he's trying to be nicer ever since... well, since I 'died'. He hasn't been blaming himself or anything but it seems like he's really trying to be kinder."

"Maybe, or maybe it's because you're both being a lot more open to each other."

Merlin shrugged.

"I hope you don't mind porridge."

"I could eat a horse!"

* * *

The next few weeks passed as if the last three months had never happened. Camelot thrived with life and everybody lived without any further scare. The only thing that reminded them of what was out there was the sign Morgana and Morgause had left on the city wall.

Merlin and Gaius were back to normal, to the relief of Gwen and Arthur. Arthur was usually at the physician's quarters when he was waiting for Merlin in the mornings, unless the warlock had spent the night with Freya. Gwen made a point of visiting the two often and she seemed very happy that everything was practically back to normal. The three men could tell that she still missed Morgana and her betrayal still stung.

Arthur and Merlin's relationship was the same as it ever was. The pair still shared a bit of animosity with each other but they were being a lot friendlier than before what had happened with Ma'ab. Arthur had actually taken to not telling Merlin off for being late and for not knocking. They seemed a lot more at ease with each other as well.

However, the same could not be said for Uther. Arthur admitted that since he had told his father about Morgana, the king had become more distant with everyone. He still talked to his father but the conversations were few and far between. Uther wasn't going mad but Gaius said that it was possible that he was suffering from depression. Arthur hadn't been happy when he was told this. Merlin could tell that he was becoming concerned.

Now, Merlin was in Arthur's chambers, busily cleaning the floor when Arthur came in, looking very sullen.

"What's happened?" Merlin asked, fearing the answer.

"Vortigern's men raided one of the outlying villages," Arthur muttered. "Only a few survived. Gaius is going to have his work cut out for him; everyone has some sort of bruising or some burns."

Merlin stared at him in horror, not sure what to say.

"I heard one man say that a number of the villagers had been taken, mainly women and children," Arthur continued.

"That's what he did with..." Merlin didn't think he could bring himself to say the name of his village. It still brought back painful memories of seeing the place in ruins. "Vortigern must be planning something big if he's doing this."

"My father is sending patrols of men to every village he can afford without leaving the castle completely unprotected," Arthur explained.

"Vortigern needs to be stopped."

Arthur stared at the warlock. "Merlin, I know you. Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm not planning to but..." Merlin suddenly stared around the room, a look of shock on his face.

"Merlin?"

"It was a distraction," the warlock said. Arthur frowned. Merlin looked back at him. "Sindri is here." The words hung in the air, still and gripping.

"He snuck in with the villagers," Merlin whispered.

"How on earth do you know?"

"Leader of the Old Religion thing. I can sense when magic is close. It's not hard to recognise Sindri's; his magic is full of traces of other people's memories."

"I don't even want to know how that's possible. Where is he?"

"He's... he's heading towards your father's chambers." The pair stared at each other in horror. Arthur then turned and ran out.

"Arthur, wait! Remember what happened last time," Merlin called, referring to when Arthur had been cursed.

"That was Lamya. Right now I'm more worried about what he's going to do to my father."

The pair ran to the corridor that led to Uther's chambers, creeping up to the door. They couldn't hear anything from the inside. Arthur gripped the door handle and Merlin nodded. Breathing in, Arthur pushed the door open.

A second later, the pair was thrown against the wall. Merlin stared at Sindri standing in the middle of the room, looking at the pair of them in surprise. The man still had the same creepy demeanour - brown hair and violet eyes as well as the black leather he wore and now a dirty brown cloak. He then turned his gaze to Arthur and the prince began to writhe on the floor, snarling with pain.

Merlin jumped up and ran at the sorcerer, bowling him over onto the floor. Sindri rolled to the foot of Uther's bed before crouching, glaring at the warlock. Arthur stopped writhing, breathing heavily as he stared at the two magical beings in his father's room

"Have you come to kill the king, Sindri?" Merlin asked in a hard voice.

"If I can." Sindri then muttered a spell and his cold eyes flashed gold. Nothing happened. Merlin folded his arms. Sindri growled under his breath. Arthur could tell that he had tried to curse Merlin but it had failed. Vortigern and his people still clearly had no idea who Merlin was.

"Why are you so determined to get yourself killed?" Merlin asked. "That's what'll happen. Vortigern won't care if you're dead. He only wants the throne and that's all he cares about."

"I do what I must for my people and my sister," Sindri spat. "Which is more than can be said for you, warlock."

"You're wrong. I'm protecting the people I care about as well as making sure that an endless war doesn't start between magic and Camelot."

"What do you call what Uther is doing? A debate?"

"It's not endless though, Sindri. The king may be misguided but it ends with him."

"How do you know that _he _won't be like his father?" Sindri gave Arthur a quick look.

"Do you think he would have let me live if he agreed with Uther? Sindri, if Vortigern took the throne then you would have less than you have now. Would you want your sister to live like that? He'd take away everybody's rights."

"What do you know of family? All you ever had was your mother and you never knew anyone else. You even deny that you share blood with Vortigern. You're nothing more than a traitor."

Merlin could tell that Sindri was incredibly angry. Arthur then began to writhe in pain again, grinding his teeth to prevent himself from yelling in pain. Merlin stared from the prince to Sindri, only to see that the sorcerer was still staring at him and drawing a dagger from underneath his cloak. Merlin couldn't react before Sindri threw the weapon at him.

The warlock then made the movement that most likely saved him from being struck in the heart. He moved to the side slightly and held his arm up. The dagger however ripped open the arm of Merlin's sleeve and cut a long gash in his skin. Merlin grabbed at it before it could do any further damage.

Looking back at Sindri, Merlin saw him run towards Arthur, a look of malice on his face. Fearing that Sindri would kill the prince, the warlock threw the dagger at him, knowing that he would regret it for the rest of his life. Surprisingly, the dagger hit home, landing in Sindri's back. The sorcerer collapsed near Arthur, who had finally stopped struggling.

Merlin ran to the prince.

"Arthur? Arthur, are you alright?"

"'M fine," Arthur muttered. "I thought you said that it was Lamya who could make a person feel their recent emotions all at once."

"Yeah."

"Then explain why I just felt everything I've been feeling for a while in an instant."

Merlin turned back to Sindri, who still lay gasping on the floor. Crawling over to him, Merlin turned him over.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, meaning it.

Sindri laughed.

"I should've guessed that you'd do anything to protect your prince."

"Didn't you see that last time we met?"

"True." Sindri moaned against the pain. "I hope you realise that my sister will try very hard to kill you now, Emrys." Merlin froze at his words.

"Vortigern has a number of seers who interpreted your importance. He's forced himself to forget the fact that you are the Dragonlord's son. He's still trying very hard to find a way to get you. Something I know he must never do."

"Why are you telling me all of this? You hate me."

Sindri chuckled.

"I must be a good actor if I fooled you. When I was a child my parents were killed in the Great Purge and Lamya was particularly mad about it. We both were but she has quite a temper. She wanted to go and join Vortigern that second. I refused, remembering what my parents had told us about him - that he didn't care about anybody else. Then I found out why Uther hates magic so much and I became so mad that I finally gave in. But afterwards I lost my anger when I kept reading my victims' thoughts and their emotions echoed inside me. It made me see how wrong I was to have submitted to Lamya's anger but I could do nothing to stop it. I would not abandon her and I could never betray her, so I acted along with it, hating myself. What I couldn't prevent was Vortigern's manipulation of my sister. Eventually she became a weapon that could kill countless people. I can read minds but I can't control them. If I could then this would've been over a long time ago.

"So in truth Emrys, I do not hate you, I merely hate what has become of our people. I found a seer outside of Vortigern's control who showed me the future to come if Uther is succeeded by his son. I thought it too good to be true; I've become sceptical about anything that would change our people's fortunes."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Arthur said. "You just tried to kill me." Sindri laughed again.

"I'm dying," he said, "so why should I keep any more secrets? My sister is the only person I care about, even if Vortigern has corrupted her. I do what I do to protect her, even if every part of me tells me I shouldn't be so cruel. If I disobey Vortigern then I know that we would both be killed. My parents did everything to keep us alive and I wasn't about to fail them. I would kill for Lamya."

"You still did those things," Arthur challenged him, "whether or not you wanted to."

"Lamya would refuse to go against Vortigern so I had no choice. Her rage at my betrayal would mean even more people dying." He gasped as his life continued to ebb away.

"Emrys, the villagers from where you lived have been sent to a cathedral in the north of Mercia to make armour and other things for an army."

"Why just women and children?" Merlin asked.

"Vortigern thinks that men would try and defy him. He keeps most of the children in cells whilst the rest and the women work. He doesn't underestimate a mother's love for her children. It's where the people from the village that was attacked this morning are being taken."

"Where is it?"

"Hidden in the Mountains of Iesan. It is a very hard task to reach it and the mountains are infested with Wilddeoren."

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, each remembering their last encounter with the beasts.

"Morgana placed a number of minor enchantments around it to stop anyone finding it," the sorcerer continued.

"What about Morgause?" Arthur asked.

"She's been elusive lately. Morgana said she is still recovering from an injury that you inflicted on her, Emrys."

Merlin hung his head. Here again was proof at how guilty he felt for harming Morgause that way.

"Oh, and you may start to feel very ill in a second," Sindri said to Merlin.

"Why?"

"Because Vortigern insisted that I line the dagger with poison." Merlin's mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Please do not kill my sister, Emrys. She needs help back to the light. I do not want mine and my parents' efforts to be for nothing."

Merlin, still looking shocked, nodded. Sindri actually smiled.

"I'm sorry." His eyes closed again, and the sorcerer lay perfectly still on the floor.

Arthur was staring at Merlin and the pair of them looked horrified. Merlin then lifted his wounded arm up and Arthur saw it begin to tremble. Merlin fell onto his side and shook violently.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, kneeling next to the warlock. "Somebody help!" Arthur was actually quite surprised that nobody had heard their fight with Sindri. Turning his attention back to his servant, Arthur saw that his eyes had rolled backwards and he was still shaking. Arthur prayed that the poison wouldn't kill him. The prince then noticed that the wound was slowly healing and realised that he had just made a huge mistake in calling out. Nobody could see Merlin heal like this. Arthur grabbed Merlin by the shoulders in attempt to calm the shaking.

After a minute, Merlin stopped and seemed to come to himself again. After a few seconds he moaned.

"Merlin?"

"I'm fine..."

"Fine? You were just poisoned for crying out loud!"

"It wasn't that bad."

"You were just having a fit. How is that not bad?"

"I could be dead."

At this, Arthur rolled his eyes before looking at Sindri's body. "Do you think he was telling the truth? It could be trying to lead you into a trap."

"I believe him. I noticed that he was quite protective over Lamya when I was in the Stronghold."

"I'm not too sure if I do..."

"I just sensed that he wasn't lying."

"How do you reckon Lamya managed to use her gift on me?"

"He was her twin. They most likely had some sort of psychic link."

They then heard footsteps approaching. Arthur looked around to see his father approach, accompanied by his servant and one of the knights. The three stared at the two men on the floor next to the body before Uther was running towards his son, followed by the servant and the knight.

"Arthur? What happened here? Are you alright?" Uther asked, clearly shocked.

"We were walking past when we heard someone enter your chambers," Arthur lied. "This man was one of Vortigern's sorcerers. I believe that the attack on the village was a distraction to get this man into Camelot so he could kill you."

"And why are you both on the floor?" Uther looked very confused.

"This man has a twin who can make a person feel all of their emotions that they have felt recently. She must have channelled her magic through her brother because I was attacked by my own emotions."

"Couldn't this man do that?"

"He could only read minds."

"And how can you know this?"

"Because they were both there when Vortigern came for Merlin."

Uther briefly turned briefly Merlin before looking back at his son.

"He threw a dagger at Merlin but missed. The sorcerer was about to finish me off when Merlin used the dagger to kill him. Before he died, he managed to stun Merlin."

Uther looked slightly disbelieving at this. Practically everybody knew how useless Merlin was with a weapon, just as they knew how clumsy he could be.

"Did he mention anything about Vortigern's plans?" he asked.

"Something about the kidnapped villagers being taken to the Mountains of Iesan, to work on armour and weaponry," Arthur told him.

"Very well." Uther turned to the knight and instructed him to send a rider to alert Lord Bayard. He then addressed Arthur.

"I'd take your servant to see Gaius. The pair of you look as if you've been through enough."

Arthur and Merlin stood up and walked away, listening to Uther instruct his manservant to fetch some people to take away Sindri's body.

"Did he just sound concerned about me?" Merlin asked, disbelievingly.

"You just saved my life. He's gonna be grateful, especially since you keep doing it."

Merlin shrugged and the pair continued to walk.

"Hang on Arthur, you're bleeding." Merlin pointed to the back of the prince's head.

"Must have been from where I hit the wall."

"You don't think you have concussion?"

"Merlin, I can't even feel it. All it needs is a cloth."

"Just hope we don't meet Gwen on the way there. She'd know something was up and I'm never comfortable lying to her."

"Neither am I."

"Of course you wouldn't be, you're-"

"Merlin, shut up."

When they reached the door to Gaius' chambers, Merlin opened it and immediately knew that something was wrong. For one thing, there was an eerie chill in the air that unnerved him slightly; and Gaius was sitting at the table with his arms folded, though one hand was covering his mouth in thought. That was never a good sign.

"Gaius?" Merlin said, sounding worried. Gaius looked up at him, though he didn't say anything but just stared at the warlock.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, looking from one to the other. "Has something happened?"

"You could say that, Arthur," Gaius said, biting his lip as if he was trying to suppress some sort of emotion.

"Is there something wrong?" Merlin asked.

"I think you should ask her." Gaius turned to Merlin's door. Looking in the same direction, Merlin and Arthur were both shocked to see the same thing. Freya was standing in the doorway.

"Freya?" Merlin said. "But how..."

"I was able to work out how after doing a couple of tests," Gaius explained. "It turns out that Freya has been granted time as a normal human because she's pregnant."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The room was silent for a few minutes as Gaius' words sank in. Merlin was staring at Freya as if he'd never heard of the word 'pregnant' before. Arthur was absolutely shocked at what the physician had just said and was staring at him as if he had just spoken in a foreign language.

"Pregnant?" the prince said, looking at all three of them in turn. "But Merlin... you didn't..."

Merlin gave him a guilty glance and looked away, his pale cheeks flushing. Arthur guffawed.

"No," he said, trying his best not to laugh but failing miserably. Whilst Arthur sniggered, Merlin walked up to Freya.

"Are you really..." He gestured at her stomach, unsure if he could say the word. Freya nodded. Merlin hugged her. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Freya drew out of the hug to look at him. "What are you sorry for?" she said. "I can spend some time like I did before the sorceress cursed me. And this baby is so special- it's yours and you have no idea how happy I am."

Merlin gazed into her eyes and smiled, hugging her again. "Oh God," he muttered. "I'm gonna be a father."

The pair looked around as Arthur continued to laugh, clutching at his side.

"God, Merlin," he managed to say after a few minutes. "You've done it now."

Freya giggled and rolled her eyes. Merlin did the same but didn't laugh. He looked at the physician, biting his lip. Gaius shook his head, smiling.

"If you're ready to take on this responsibility then I'm happy for you both," he told them, reading the caution in the warlock's eyes.

"But that means that we'll have to keep you hidden," Merlin said, turning back to Freya.

"What!" Arthur said. "You don't think I'd turn her in, do you?"

"He knows you won't, Arthur," Gaius said, knowing what Merlin was thinking, "but some of the knights saw Freya in her human form."

"Ah." Arthur had to admit that Gaius was right.

"I can sort that out," Merlin said, running into his room. After a few seconds, he came out with his huge Book of Magic. Arthur was still struck by the size of the thing.

After a few seconds of rummaging through the pages, Merlin looked up at Freya and muttered a spell. Apparently, nothing happened.

"Merlin, your magic hasn't stopped working again, has it?" Arthur asked.

"No. What I've done is make Freya look different to everybody else apart from us, so nobody will know that's she's the Druid girl that Halig tried to hand over."

Gaius chuckled, admitting that it was a rather clever idea. That was when he noticed the blood on the back of Arthur's head.

"What happened?" he asked, knowing immediately that something had been going on. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other.

"Sindri was in Uther's chambers," Merlin explained. "He was a test to see how easy it would be to get at Uther, and me. I killed him." Merlin hung his head. "He told us why he'd done what he'd been doing. The only reason he stayed with Vortigern is because Lamya became evil and followed Vortigern's orders without question."

"He also told us where the people from Ealdor were taken," Arthur continued. "And apparently he channelled Lamya's gift because I felt...everything."

"Are you alright?" Gaius and Freya asked in unison.

"We're fine now but Uther managed to cut Merlin with a poisoned dagger."

Freya gasped in horror.

"It wasn't that bad," Merlin reassured everyone, glaring at Arthur.

"Yeah, bad enough for you to be having a minor fit on the floor."

"At least it wasn't lethal." Merlin's glare deepened. "What's more important are those villagers. I'm going to free them. Vortigern is going to seriously regret destroying Ealdor."

"Merlin, have you ever heard of something called rest?"

"Yeah, it's something that I never get."

Freya walked up to Gaius.

"I guess they're always like this," she whispered, failing to restrain a small smile.

"Most of the time," he replied.

* * *

Freya watched as Merlin packed his bag for the trip to the Mountains of Iesan. She sat on the edge of the bed as the warlock pottered around.

"Please be careful," she said into the silence. Merlin stopped and smiled gently at her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Freya reached out and fiddled with the end of his chainmail.

"This actually really suits you."

"I don't think so."

"Arthur may tease you about not suiting the hero thing but he couldn't be more wrong."

Merlin took her hand and cradled it in his own. Sitting down on the bed, he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Gaius is going to take care of you until I get back. I've asked him to make sure that you don't overexert yourself."

"How am I going to overexert myself? I'm pregnant so I'm going to be careful but I'm not staying shut up in here. You've given me an opportunity to see Camelot without fear of who I am."

"I know, but I don't want you to get hurt. I want you, and the baby, to stay safe. For me? Please?"

"Merlin, it's not as if I plan on fighting a horde of angry dragons." Merlin had to laugh at this. For a few moments the pair sat there, enjoying the silence, before Merlin stood back up and continued to pack.

"Is Arthur going with you?"

"No. He's knows I'm going but I didn't tell him when. By tomorrow morning he'll be wondering where I am and Gaius will tell him."

"Are you sure about this? You could do with some extra help."

"I can't risk Arthur's life for this. It came too close at Vortigern's Stronghold and I don't want something like this to end up killing him."

"So you plan to get past goodness knows how many Wildeoren, sneak through Morgana's enchantment into the cathedral and rescue everybody, getting them and yourself out before anybody notices."

"Yes."

"Merlin, it's suicide. You're going to get yourself killed."

"That's your hormones talking."

"It's got nothing to do with hormones. They wouldn't even be affected yet."

Merlin went over to hug her.

"Freya, I'll be okay. I don't exactly injure like most people anymore and I doubt most of the soldiers would be able to use magic."

"You'd want to be careful about that. Vortigern's men could pass the message onto Uther about you using magic."

"Vortigern wouldn't want that. He still wants me to join him and I can't do that if Uther executes me."

Freya sighed.

Bending down to kiss her again, Merlin picked up his bag in the same movement.

"I'll be back," he whispered. Turning around, he walked out of the door, smiling at her.

Gaius was standing by his bench, his face sombre. Walking up to him, Merlin hugged the old man.

"Make sure you're careful," Gaius said.

"I'll be fine. Keep an eye on Freya."

"You know I will."

"Thanks Gaius."

Merlin then broke away and nodded. He then turned to the door and walked out, leaving Gaius and Freya to stare after him.

Merlin crept down the corridors into the courtyard and from there made his way to the stables. After saddling his horse, he jumped on and nudged the horse's flanks, heading towards the main gate.

Passing the guards, who didn't seem to register that he had passed, Merlin made the horse break into a gallop and headed towards Mercia.

* * *

The still night air hung around Merlin, the cold causing him to shiver and draw closer to the small fire he had created.

After riding for most of the day, Merlin had stopped to rest just beyond the border between Camelot and Mercia. He was hidden by a number of thick oak trees in a small forest that was currently pitch black apart from the dim glow of the fire.

Shivering again, the warlock poked at the flames with a stick from the forest floor. Around him, there was just silence and it unnerved him. If Arthur or Gwen or Freya were here then he'd feel more at ease. But they weren't. He was alone.

An owl suddenly screeched and Merlin jumped up, grabbing his sword. Staring around at the trees, the warlock tried to see if he could make out anything unusual with his surroundings.

He then felt a sword tip touching in between his shoulder blades. Spinning around, Merlin brought his sword... against Arthur's.

"Arthur?" Merlin said, staring at him.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" the prince said, pushing the warlock's sword away. "I knew you'd try to leave sooner rather than later and you wouldn't tell me about it."

"And I had a reason for it. I don't want someone like Lamya to curse you again."

"That's why I came," Gwen said, walking into the light of the fire. Merlin goggled at her then turned back to Arthur.

"She insisted on coming," Arthur explained before the warlock could say anything. "I couldn't stop her."

"I'm not about to let you two run into trouble and only just make it out alive," Gwen said.

"Gwen, we're not children."

"I'm not saying you are but I think you could use my help."

"Gwen, if anything happened to you..." Arthur's expression was pleading but Gwen didn't sway.

"Hunith was kind to us all and I'm not about to let her friends suffer enslavement by Vortigern. We fought with those people and now they're in trouble. You once said Arthur that everybody in that circle was equal and now's our chance to prove that we still honour it."

Both Merlin and Arthur were struck by her statement and didn't say anything. Gwen seemed satisfied that they wouldn't argue about her being there anymore until Merlin spoke again.

"The pair of you shouldn't be here. Arthur, your father would have my head if anything happened to you and I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"Merlin, no offence, but you're hopeless with a sword," Gwen said and immediately flushed with embarrassment. "Well when I say hopeless I mean not very good."

"I think he knows that Gwen but he's just being stubborn," Arthur said. Both he and Merlin shared a look. Gwen still had no idea about Merlin's magic.

Merlin sighed as he finally gave in. Sheathing his sword, he shook his head. Arthur and Gwen smiled.

* * *

The three trekked towards the harshly shaped mountains, looking up as the sun began to disappear behind them.

They had been travelling for the entire day and had managed to cover the distance between the mountains and the border between Camelot and Mercia.

"Didn't you say that the mountains are infested with Wilddeoren?" Gwen asked Arthur.

"Apparently," he replied, "so we'll have to plaster ourselves with Gaia berries."

Merlin made a face as he remembered the last time he and Arthur had used the berries.

"You'll have to plug your nose, Gwen," Merlin muttered. "Those berries smell disgusting."

"But it does depend if we find any," Arthur said. Merlin looked at him, his mouth slightly open. Gwen laughed.

"Great," Merlin mumbled.

When they reached the foot of the mountains, Arthur examined the landscape.

"We can't take the horses," he told them. "They wouldn't be able to walk up there; it's too steep."

"As long as we don't meet any Wilddeoren, I'm fine with walking," Merlin said.

"Do either of you have any idea where the cathedral up there is?" Gwen muttered.

"Hang on; I just need to recognise it. Sindri explained what it looked like."

"What? Neither of you mentioned that sorcerer."

"He only stayed with Vortigern because of his sister. I could tell that he wasn't lying."

"Merlin-"

"Just give us a minute and we'll get going."

Walking up to Arthur, Merlin closed his eyes and stretched out his mind.

"I take it you didn't tell her about Sindri," he said to Arthur, still searching.

"No," the prince replied.

"I think it shocked her when I just told her. She'll probably ask us about it later."

"When you say 'us' you mean 'me' don't you."

"I don't know. She could ask both of us or just you or even just me."

"Have you even thought of telling her about your magic?"

"You honestly don't know how many times I thought about telling all of you. I just don't want to put her in that position."

"Position? Gwen would never tell anyone about you and you know it."

"I know she wouldn't but I don't want it to...burden her."

Arthur made a scoffing noise but Merlin ignored him, opening his eyes.

"I found it. If we head up here and turn right when we first get the chance, we should find the valley within a few hours."

"It'll be dark and I don't think we'd get that far."

"I think we should keep moving until we reach somewhere near the cathedral. We can't stay in the open with Wilddeoren everywhere."

Arthur gave his servant a weird look.

"Since when did you become so practical?"

"I don't know."

Arthur chuckled and looked back at Gwen, who was waiting with the horses and staring keenly at the pair of them.

"I think we've worked out where we're going," he told her. "But it'll take a while."

"That's fine," Gwen said, smiling as she walked up to the pair of them. "Which way?"

"Straight ahead and then we just need to turn right as soon as we can," Merlin explained, pointing.

The three then began to make their ascent up the steep slope of one of the mountains, sometimes scrabbling at rocks to make sure that they didn't stumble or fall over.

"Have you spotted any Gaia berries yet, Arthur?" Merlin called back to the prince.

"No. They might not grow in this region."

Feeling uncomfortable at this, Gwen drew out her sword and gazed around.

They continued in this manner until the sun had set. Arthur was at the back, Gwen in the middle and Merlin at the front, all three keeping an eye out for any signs of Wilddeoren. However, they were fortunate in that not one Wilddeoren tried to approach them, so they continued up the mountain and turned to the right when they found a sort of pathway between two cliff faces.

"Do you have any idea if this is a dead end?" Gwen asked Merlin.

"No but we can't just keep looking around not knowing where one way goes."

Gwen nodded and followed him down the pathway, Arthur right behind her. Walking up behind her, he whispered into her ear.

"Are you sure you're alright doing this?" he muttered.

"Arthur, we don't need to go over this again. We gave those people our loyalty and not just because Merlin is from there. Quite a few of them died because we persuaded them to fight."

Gwen looked at Merlin.

"It must have been hard for Merlin to lose his friend, even if he was a sorcerer."

"I don't know." Arthur then thought about asking her about something. "Gwen, what's your honest opinion on magic?"

Gwen frowned at him. "Why?"

"Please, I just want to know."

"I'm not sure if magic is evil. I just think that it's the people who use it can use it for either good or evil. All those people who have tried to kill you and your father were evil but I think it was just grief that changed them, not magic. Merlin's friend could use magic, but he was good. But...I can never forget that it had a hand in my father's death. Tauren was a sorcerer and my father was killed because he was associated with him. And there's also what happened to Morgana."

"So what if me or Merlin were sorcerers?"

Merlin heard this, ground to a halt and span around, his expression one of horror. He stared from Arthur to Gwen.

Gwen looked from one to the other.

"I don't think I'd care so much, though I do have to say that I've noticed a difference in both of your characters. You're being a lot nicer to each other. I'd be surprised that you'd kept it from me but I'd never tell anyone, least of all Uther. All I'd ask is that you don't become like Morgana."

"Morgause wasn't any help," Merlin explained. "She encouraged Morgana to become evil."

Gwen sighed and looked back at Arthur. "Why did you ask me?"

Arthur shot a look at Merlin, who shook his head slightly. "It's just that there's been a lot of sorcery around lately and I just want some people's opinion on it."

"Have you asked Merlin?"

"Yeah he did," Merlin said. "I think that it can be used either way and it depends on the person. Magic doesn't have the perspective of good and evil."

Gwen raised her eyebrows and Merlin smiled.

"Something I heard Ma'ab say," he explained.

"Speaking of her, is it me or has she vanished?" Gwen asked as the continued to walk.

"I think she has," Arthur said. "But something tells me that she wasn't evil like my father said."

Gwen looked at him in mild interest.

"I don't think she was," Merlin said, suddenly. "When she was in my head, she told me that she didn't want to be our enemy and that Arthur would soon have to face someone. She was right; she meant Morgana and Morgause. Then she let me and Arthur go when he came for me. She was also kind when she was Una."

Arthur and Gwen were silent at this and the three continued to walk as the sun began to touch the distant horizon.

* * *

Gwen stared down the mountain at the enormous cathedral nestled between the rocky slopes around it.

She and the others were camping in a small cave halfway up the mountain. The sky was jet black, and they were too nervous to light a fire for gear that someone would see it, so they were huddled against the wall. Gwen had just decided to take another look to see if anything had changed.

"There's sometimes a flash of a candle going past a window," she whispered to Merlin and Arthur once she had walked back over. "I don't know how many guards that means there are."

"If the plan works then we won't have to worry about them," Arthur said, shivering from the fierce wind.

"What exactly are you using as a drug?" Gwen asked Merlin.

The warlock rummaged around in his bag and brought out a collection of herbs.

"Gaius gave this to me just in case," Merlin explained, placing the herbs back into the bag.

"So once you've given the drug to the soldiers, Gwen," Arthur summed up, "we'll knock out any stragglers and get the villagers out of there."

"You make it sound so simple," Merlin muttered. "There'll be at least one sorcerer in there as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Lamya."

"It's not as if we're going to charge in there," Arthur retorted. "We'll just have to deal with any sorcerer we find."

"Yes, but Lamya. She's not exactly your everyday sorcerer and I'm not prepared to kill her after everything that Sindri went through to keep her alive."

"Merlin, as much as I hate to say it, don't you think he could have been lying?"

"No."

Arthur sighed. He could guess that Merlin had some sort of sense as the Leader of the Old Religion and he wasn't going to push it in front of Gwen.

"There might be traps in there," Gwen said.

"Hopefully not to many," Arthur said. "Vortigern can't keep taking workers by invading villages so he wouldn't want any of the villagers to walk unsuspectingly into one. We don't know the scale of what they're doing so there might not be any traps at all."

"Vortigern could be using other things on the cathedral. Sindri said that Morgana had used some enchantments to stop anyone finding it by accident," Merlin added.

"But that's not so much of a problem because we knew where it was," Arthur said.

Merlin stared out of the cave entrance.

"I just hope this works," he muttered.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Can you see anyone?" Merlin asked as Arthur stared at the immense cathedral from behind a boulder.

"There isn't anybody keeping guard on the outside," the prince replied. "They must think that Morgana's enchantments are keeping them safe."

"I'd never think Vortigern would be that stupid," Merlin chuckled.

The three ran from their shelter amongst the boulders at the base of the mountains to the cathedral, pushing themselves against the wall.

Drawing their swords, Merlin, Gwen and Arthur crept around the cathedral, ducking as they passed windows. Looking round one corner, Gwen turned back quickly.

"There are a couple of Vortigern's soldiers right by the entrance," she whispered. "It looks like their armour is weak at the shoulders and the neck."

"We can't exactly run around there and chop their heads off," Merlin said, looking disgusted at the thought. "They'd raise the alarm before we even got inside."

"You should be glad I brought this then," Arthur muttered. Staring at him, Gwen and Merlin watched as the prince brought out a crossbow and some arrows.

"Were you planning on going hunting after we rescued the villagers?" Merlin asked.

"Funny, Merlin."

Arthur loaded the crossbow and shot one of the men and, within a few more seconds, the other was dead. Neither of them had had the chance to call out.

"We'll need to be quick," Arthur said. "They could have rounds, so we'll have no idea when they might find the bodies."

Skirting around the dead soldiers, the three entered the cathedral and immediately hid behind a column. Looking about the place, Arthur saw two soldiers on the level above, both looking at the building's architecture. He also saw some more soldiers standing at the back of the vicinity, right in front of a large cage.

Motioning at the other two, Arthur led them through the shadows until they came upon an anti-chamber and slipped inside. Merlin quietly closed the door behind them.

"The children are in a cage," Arthur explained in an undertone. "There are at least ten soldiers guarding them and a few more on the next level. The problem is going to be drugging them all."

Merlin pulled out a few water skins and his eyes immediately fell on a rusty jug. Cleaning it as best he could, Merlin poured the water into the jug and, pulling out the herbs, swirled them around in the liquid.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Gwen. She nodded, smiling slightly. She then pulled off her chainmail and slipped a ragged dress over her padded shirt, trousers and a dagger. Merlin then quickly fashioned some manacles without either of the other two noticing and handed them to Gwen. Arthur stared at him in disbelief.

"We have to make it look convincing, as if she really is a prisoner," Merlin explained. "Don't worry, I've got the key."

"What do you think I should say, apart from you filthy... well, you get the idea," Gwen asked.

"Tell them that Adan sent you with some refreshment," Merlin said.

"Wasn't Adan one of those men at your village?" Arthur asked. "How do you know if he's even here?"

"I don't."

"Merlin, you can't say that you're willing to play with Gwen's life on the hope that they know some bloke out of a hundred or more."

"Arthur, it's fine," Gwen said. "I have to do this. I know that Merlin isn't exactly happy with it either." She promptly placed the manacles on her wrists, making sure that they wouldn't come off and took the jug off Merlin. Walking out of the room, Gwen went up to the soldiers, feeling both Merlin and Arthur's eyes on her, peering out of the door.

The men watched her walk up to them but didn't act as if they were surprised. Gwen was thankful that Merlin had thought of the manacles.

"Adan sent me with this," she muttered, avoiding eye contact with the soldier she was addressing. The man grunted, taking the jug.

"Well that's a miracle," another said. "I thought he'd become a condescending idiot."

"He just thinks he's better than us because he caught that boy in the village a couple of months ago," a third complained. "What was his name? Marvin?"

"Merlin," a fourth muttered. "Personally I don't get what Vortigern wants with the boy."

"I heard he was a powerful sorcerer," the second said. Gwen frowned at this.

"Don't be daft. That _mighty_ Pendragon would have his head if he was," the first argued, with a hint of a sneer.

"I overheard Lamya one time," a fifth muttered. "Apparently this Merlin is the son of Vortigern's missing sister. Vortigern still seems to be desperate to get him."

"Since when did Vortigern have a sister?" the third asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She went missing at birth," another soldier said. "My father told me how Vortigern's father was looking for the child, even though they didn't know if it was a boy or girl because his wife had died giving birth and the maid had done a runner with the baby. He sent people to the nearest kingdoms but they never found it. It turns out that Vortigern actually killed her before he knew. That boy was refusing to tell him anything credible so Vortigern picked out a prisoner and killed her. Sindri told him that she was the boy's mother but what nobody knew was that she was Vortigern's sister."

"Gods," the fourth muttered.

"And apparently the boy looks almost exactly like Vortigern's father."

Unnoticed, Gwen was listening to the conversation, shock filling her. If Merlin was Vortigern's nephew, as these men were saying, then Camelot was possibly the worst place for Merlin to be. Uther would have him killed if he ever found out. She didn't want to accept it as the truth. Vortigern was cruel and ruthless, whereas Merlin was kind, caring and rather endearing. He was easy to like as Vortigern was equally easy to hate. Both uncle and nephew were complete opposites, not that she'd actually met Vortigern.

"Wait, we've just been talking in front of this wretch," the first muttered.

"Who's she gonna tell?" the fifth said. "It's not as if she'll be alive for much longer. They've nearly finished the work and then Adan just has to get rid of the parents whilst we take care of the brats."

"Off you go," the second said to Gwen.

Gwen turned around, burning with anger and walked as fast as she could towards the room where Arthur and Merlin were waiting. Once inside, she exhaled and Merlin ran to take the manacles off her wrists. When he was done and Gwen had removed her dress and put the chainmail back on, Arthur hugged Gwen.

"Thank God," he muttered.

"They were barely interested in me," she said, reassuring him. "They were busy talking about Merlin and Hunith."

Arthur looked at the warlock. Merlin frowned.

Gwen broke away from Arthur and put a comforting hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"You could have told me about Vortigern," she whispered.

Arthur realised what she was talking about. Neither he nor Merlin had heard what the soldiers had said, even if they were in a cathedral, until one of them had loudly called Gwen a wretch. Merlin had nearly hit him over the head to stop him from muttering loud curses at the man.

"You know," Merlin mumbled, looking away. "You know he's my uncle."

"I'm sorry," Gwen said. "I really am."

"I just thank God that my mother never knew."

"Merlin, do Morgana and Morgause know?"

Merlin didn't turn around but nodded briefly.

"And does anybody else know?"

"Gaius does... but nobody else."

Gwen sighed and looked at Arthur. The prince easily read her expression.

"I know. My father would almost certainly kill him if he knew or try and use him as some sort of leverage."

"As far as you're father's concerned," Merlin said, "I'm an enemy no matter which way you put it."

"Don't be daft. You're loyal to Camelot and that makes you anything but an enemy."

"Ssh," Gwen cut in, holding up a finger. "They'll hear you."

Merlin turned back around and the pair could see that his eyes were swimming with emotion.

"All that matters now is saving those people," he said.

"Oh God," Gwen muttered. "I just remembered. They're planning to kill them soon because they've nearly finished the work."

Arthur ran a hand through his hair.

"We'll have to do it now," he said.

At that moment, a bell began to ring and they heard a few cries from outside.

"They must have found the bodies," Gwen said. All three drew their swords and ran out of the room.

Only a few of the soldiers were left standing as the rest had succumbed to the drug. Arthur made quick work of them whilst Merlin and Gwen ran to the cage.

"It's alright," Merlin reassured them.

"Merlin?" a small voice asked. "Everyone, it's Merlin."

"Yeah it's me. I've come to get you out of here. You lot remember Gwen and Arthur, don't you?"

Most of the children rushed forwards and grabbed Merlin and Gwen's hands, shrieking with delight. The rest were wary, obviously because they were from the village that had been destroyed a few days ago. Merlin put a finger to his lips and told them to be quiet. Gwen meanwhile went around the cage to find the door and found it with a heavy bolt attached to the iron.

Reaching out, she grabbed it but was immediately thrown away, skidding onto the floor.

"Gwen!" Merlin called.

"There's a spell on the lock," she explained.

"No problem," Arthur said, swinging his sword at the lock. It fell away as if there had been no enchantment at all.

Merlin looked on in surprise but that was when he saw the sword Arthur was holding.

"You brought Excalibur!" he said.

"You never know when somebody's raised the dead."

"_You_ don't know what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands."

"What are you two on about?" Gwen asked.

"We'll tell you later," Merlin said. "Now let's get them out of here."

Opening the cage, the three ushered the twenty or so children out. One was even carrying a small baby.

The group turned around but immediately saw a problem. Their way was blocked by a number of men with strange, rabid looking dogs. A couple of children screamed.

Arthur gripped Excalibur but Merlin held a hand out.

"Don't be stupid," he hissed. "Those are Howlers; they'd rip the children to shreds."

"What?"

"Howlers' hides are protected by magic - that's why they don't have hair - and their extra long claws are meant for ripping their prey apart."

Arthur heaved a sigh and glared at the soldiers. He then saw Merlin walking to the middle of the two parties.

"What's he doing?" Gwen whispered.

"Something very stupid."

Merlin stopped and glared at the man at the head of the group of soldiers.

"You will not pass," the man stated without emotion. "You will be killed for your trespassing here and these children will go to meet their fate."

"None of these children are being sent anywhere," Merlin said. "They're coming home with me along with their mothers."

"Home? Their village was destroyed months ago. And who do you think you are to decide what happens to these people?"

"I'd ask the same of you. You have no right to harm these people when they have done nothing to deserve this. You've had them cooped up in a cage like animals. It stops _now_."

Arthur had to admit that he was impressed. He had never really seen Merlin so angry but so controlled.

The soldiers laughed.

"You cannot tell us what to do, boy," the man replied. "You have no power whatsoever."

Arthur had to stop himself from chuckling. People really had no idea about Merlin.

"I may have no power over you but I do have some over something far more complex than you and your army of rabid dogs."

The soldiers muttered to themselves, all throwing Merlin looks of disgust.

"In the name of Vortigern, you will die for such disobedience and slander."

"And in the name of Camelot and its king, you will not take another step. _Astrice!_"

Everybody looked on in shock as Merlin thrust his hand forward and a beam of orange light hit the man, who fell to the floor, clearly dead.

Merlin closed his eyes and held his arms to his sides. All were staring at him thought he was mad and some of the children called out to him. The Howlers barked, eagerly pulling on their leashes to get at such easy prey.

"Oh my God," Gwen muttered. Arthur could tell that she was startled at what was happening for the ground around Merlin's feet was rising in chunks and hovering in mid-air. Arthur recognised the spell as the one he had used one Sindri and Lamya.

Merlin's eyes then flew open and the chunks of rock collided with the men and Howlers, throwing them into a heap on the floor.

Merlin turned back to them, his expression unfathomable. Only Arthur was unsurprised by what had just happened.

"We still need to find the women and other children," he merely said.

Gwen stared at him.

"You knew?" she whispered.

"Gwen, me and Merlin will explain later but we need you to get this lot up the mountain and back towards the horses."

Gwen looked longing for answers but nodded and ran to the door, followed by the children.

Arthur turned to Merlin.

"I hope you're ready to answer a lot of questions," he said.

"I won't blame her if she hates me."

"Didn't you hear what she said earlier? She won't hate you; she'll just ask why you didn't tell her."

Arthur looked around.

"Do you have any idea where-"

Before he could finish the question, there were a number of screams from nearby.

"The crypt!" Arthur shouted.

The pair ran along the cathedral's length, following the sounds of screaming. Merlin could also hear the rush of water.

"They're drowning them," he gasped, reaching the door and running down the stairs into the creepy underground crypt.

Merlin couldn't but stare in shock. There was a large hole in the middle of the floor, which was covered by a huge grill with locks at certain points around it. The people were underneath the grill and were screaming as water flooded in through some sort of pipe. Merlin could see that they were already trying to keep their heads above the water. He also knew that not many people from Ealdor could swim.

Rushing to the grill, Merlin bent down and shouted at someone he recognised.

"Bethan!"

"Merlin?" the woman shouted over the screaming. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm getting you out of here. I'm here with Prince Arthur."

"Merlin, you can't. The grill is sealed with magic."

"That's not much of a problem."

"MERLIN!" Arthur yelled.

Merlin suddenly felt a mouth close around his shoulder, biting hard. Yelling, Merlin shot another beam of light out of his hand and he watched as a Howler collapsed to the floor. Merlin inspected the deep wound as he felt himself fall onto his side, the pain setting in.

Looking around, Merlin saw a few more of the over-sized dogs, all of them drooling as they growled at Merlin and Arthur.

Arthur crouched next to the warlock and looked at the wound.

"It's not as bad as the ones the dragon gave you," he told Merlin.

"You take care of the dogs and I'll get them out of the cage."

"Merlin, you're injured. It's going to take you a little while just to recover."

"I'll manage. You just make sure that we can get out of here."

Arthur nodded and turned to the Howlers. A couple of them jumped at him. A stream of energy hit one of them just as Arthur killed the other.

"Merlin, I thought you were going to get those people out of there and let me deal with these."

"Sorry," Merlin muttered. Arthur softened, knowing that Merlin was still in a lot of pain from the bite.

Merlin looked back down into the cage and to his horror, saw that the people could almost touch the bars because of the depth of the water.

"Merlin!" Bethan shouted, grabbing his hand as he slipped it through the bars. "Are you alright?"

"I've had worse."

"You're losing too much blood."

"It's fine. I'm a fast healer."

Merlin let go and began inspected one of the locks. Muttering a counter spell, the warlock saw the lock flash and snap. Some people gasped in amazement as they watched him.

"Merlin?" he heard another voice asked.

"Emma?"

"Yes, it's me. What happened to Hunith? When we were at the stronghold, they took her away and she never came back... "

"He killed her," Merlin explained, his voice cracking as he moved to the next lock. "Vortigern killed her."

Despite the screaming of the women and labouring children, a gasp of horror rose up.

"Merlin… I'm so sorry," Emma said, swimming over to him. The water was dangerously close to the bars now.

Merlin didn't reply but used the same spell on the next lock.

"Merlin, behind you!" Bethan suddenly shouted. However, the warlock was too slow.

A Howler had managed to get past Arthur and jumped at the warlock. Merlin felt a splitting pain in his back as the dog's claws connected with it. As he collapsed he felt more blood leave him. The bite wound was healing now, as Merlin could feel the numbing sensation, but the fresh pain intensified, clouding Merlin's thoughts. He didn't hear the people shouting his name and he didn't see Arthur finish off the beasts with determination and then run to him.

"Merlin?" Arthur whispered into his ear. Merlin seemed to come to himself and, in a panic, turned back to the bars to see the water was beginning to overflow.

"No!" he shouted running to the next lock. In his haste, his hand slipped into the freezing water and another hand grabbed it. Merlin felt it go limp and float away. The thrashing people were beginning to become still.

"NO!"

Merlin continued to break the magical locks but that was when the water became utterly still and the screaming stopped. Reaching through the bars, Merlin tried to reach someone but felt nothing but the cold water.

Feeling a numb sensation in the pit of his stomach, Arthur took Merlin's arm and pulled him away from the bars.

"Arthur, let me go," Merlin said, hoarsely, pulling against Arthur's grip.

"Merlin, we're too late," Arthur said. Merlin could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes despite his strong voice. "There is nothing you can do. We need to get out of here before more men and Howlers turn up."

At his words, Merlin began to tremble with grief and shock. Arthur picked him off the floor as he started to slump to the side.

"I'm fine," Merlin mumbled, still trembling.

"You're not," Arthur countered as he climbed back up the stairs. "You've just had your back opened and your shoulder bitten and you look as if you're about to go into shock."

"I can walk."

"I'll put you down when the wounds have healed properly, so for now you'll just have to put up with it."

Merlin grumbled incoherently but said nothing else as Arthur walked through the cathedral. Outside, Arthur carried the warlock to the foot of the mountain and double-checked Merlin's injuries. Admittedly they had almost completely healed, but Arthur refused to put him down as he was still shivering from shock.

"I don't even know how I'm going to tell them," Merlin said as Arthur walked.

"You'll just have to give them the truth," Arthur said, gulping.

"They're children," Merlin said. "They'll react differently to how we would."

"Merlin, shut up or you'll give yourself a headache. You're shaking like mad."

Merlin didn't reply but merely stared into space. Sitting him down on a rock, Arthur gripped him by the shoulders.

"You are not going to start blaming yourself. I forbid it. You tried but fate had other ideas. Just be grateful that we saved some of them."

"If I'd-"

"Merlin, what did I just say? You cannot blame yourself when you were incapacitated by a Howler."

Merlin frowned at him.

"Put it this way, if you felt no pain whatsoever then you wouldn't be human. But you are and you have to know that some things can't be."

"Though we can try and fight what can't be."

"You're talking to someone with experience on that."

"Oh, yeah."

"Merlin, come on. I don't think either of us wants you to go silent again. You cannot blame yourself for what Vortigern has done. When the time comes you can take your revenge, alright."

"Nobody can promise that."

"What do you think he had the villagers make the armour and weapons for? A travelling music group? There's going to be some hideous fight soon, I can tell."

Merlin nodded absentmindedly and stood up. The shock had gone and he felt almost like himself again. Half-smiling at the prince, Merlin broke into a run.

"If you think you're going to beat me, you can think again," Arthur called after him.

The pair ran through the mountain pass, dodging the sharp pieces of rock that they had passed the previous night. Sometime later, they spotted the small group as the mountain began to slope back down again.

"Gwen!" Arthur called.

Gwen turned around and smiled at the pair of them. Ignoring the small cheers of the children, Gwen ran at Arthur and hugged him. Then, to Merlin's surprise, she turned and hugged him.

"You could have told me," she muttered. "I would never have told anyone."

"I didn't want any of you to feel awkward lying."

"Merlin, you're my friend and that's the important thing, no matter if you can use magic. When did you start to learn?"

"I'll explain later, I promise."

Gwen suddenly seemed to notice that the two were alone. "Where are the others?"

Merlin and Arthur shared a glance.

"They didn't make it," Arthur told her, looking down in shame.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Freya was staring out of the window, as she had been for the last few days. She was incredibly worried about Merlin and had been shocked to hear that Gwen and Arthur were missing. Gaius had told her that Uther was livid and had been sending out search parties. Freya felt concern for all three of them, even if she had never met Gwen before. She hoped that they were alright and had managed to free the people from Ealdor and the other village.

There was a knock on the door and Freya turned around to see Gaius walk in. She smiled.

"There's still no sign," she said, sitting down on the bed.

Gaius sat next to her.

"They'll be fine," he reassured her. "Merlin will protect them."

"I know he will but... it's taking so long; they've been gone for almost a week."

"You don't have to worry; they'll have to walk back with the villagers."

"I'm sorry, I'm just... so... "

"It's all a part of pregnancy, though you seem to be more emotional a bit earlier than usual."

Freya chuckled and stroked her stomach. Gaius watched as her.

"When you... 'died'," he said, "Merlin was beside himself. He didn't cry but I looked at him sometimes and it was as if he wasn't there. It made me realise just how much he loves you. Other people could see how upset he was but they didn't know why. Then when his father died he sometimes stared into space as if he was seeing something none of us could. The last couple of months before you came back were quite hard for him, especially with Ma'ab and Vortigern."

"I am really sorry for that," Freya muttered.

"Don't be; it's not as if any of it was your fault."

Freya sighed. "Ma'ab mentioned that there would be a lot more to come and it would test both Merlin and Arthur. What she didn't say is when it would happen."

There was the tolling of a bell and Freya sprang up to stare out of the window. She could see in the distance a group of people walking out of the forest along with three horses.

"It's them," she said, delighted.

Not bothering to wait for the physician to reply, Freya made for the door and hurried down the hallway, almost running to the courtyard. She arrived just in time to see the small group of people come through the castle gate.

Merlin was at the front, leading his horse and carrying a baby in one arm whilst another clung to his back. It was the same with Arthur and Gwen, though Gwen only carried one child. Four or five children were on each horse and the others were walking, all looking dead on their feet.

Setting the child down and handing the baby to Gwen, Merlin saw Freya and ran at her just as she began to walk to him. The two hugged in the middle of the courtyard.

"Thank God," Freya mumbled into Merlin's shoulder. "You're all alright."

"I missed you too."

"Wait, where are the adults?" Freya broke away and stared at the small group of about thirty.

"They were trapped in a cage in the crypt and we didn't get them out in time. They... they drowned." Merlin's voice cracked from sadness.

Freya stood there, aghast. "Oh, Merlin... I'm so sorry."

Arthur walked up to her, Gwen right behind him.

"How has my father been?" he asked Freya.

"He's been sending out search parties out towards the Mountains of Iesan but none of them found you. Gaius told me that he was worried because of Morgana."

"He didn't think I'd turn into an evil sorcerer, did he?"

"No, it just sounds like he didn't want you to be captured."

"We need to go and explain to him."

Gwen was looking at Freya in mild interest.

"Hello," Freya said. "You must be Gwen."

Gwen looked slightly taken aback by this but smiled.

"Have we met somewhere?" she asked.

"No, we haven't. I was the cursed Druid girl who transformed into a monster."

Gwen's eyes widened at this. "But we were all under the impression that you'd... "

"Died? I did technically but then I woke up in a lake. I've been granted time as a normal human because I'm pregnant." Freya laughed at Gwen's expression.

The maid turned to Merlin.

"Yes, it's my child," he muttered. "Arthur, you were saying about going to see your father."

"There's no need," Arthur said. "He's just arrived."

The four looked up to see Uther walk down the steps, followed by Gaius. Arthur moved to stand in front of the other three.

"Arthur," Uther said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Father."

"How could you be so stupid? You followed your servant at the word of a _sorcerer_ who could have been leading you into a trap."

"I did not follow him. We were both heading towards the same place so we travelled together. He didn't persuade me in any way. If it had been up to him, he would have had me stay here."

"And you should have instead of running off into Mercia on a hunch."

"But father, the hunch was correct. We arrived just before they were about to kill all of the villagers. As it is we only managed to save most of the children as the women and other children were drowned in a cage. We couldn't reach them in time as the locks had magic on them and we were attacked by Howlers."

"Howlers?" The king turned to Gaius.

"They are magical beasts with thick hides, Sire. They are said to have magical protection."

Uther's face became even more enraged.

"We dealt with them," Arthur assured him. "They were surprised by our attack, which means that it wasn't a trap. No sorcerers aided the beasts in their attack so we were able to escape with most of the children, unharmed."

The king nodded.

"What you did was brave, Arthur," he eventually said, to the prince's astonishment.

"I would never have done it if it weren't for Merlin and Guinevere."

Uther nodded at the two. Gwen went slightly pink.

"Father, I think it would be best if we found homes for these children here in Camelot. They have no families and they cannot be expected to fend for themselves."

"I will have some men help you."

Uther turned around and stalked back into the castle. Gaius walked up to Merlin and hugged him.

"I'm glad to see you're alright," he said.

"I had a few bites but yeah, I'm fine." Merlin shot a glance at Gwen. "Uh, Gwen sort of knows about me being a warlock..."

Gaius let go and stared from Merlin to Gwen.

"I had to use magic to clear a path. The children saw too but I've wiped their memories. I know it's not ideal but...well, I don't think any of us want them to spread rumours about us using magic to get out of there."

Gaius raised his eyebrows at this but knew it was for the best. They couldn't have the children running around and telling everyone about Merlin's gifts.

* * *

Arthur walked towards Gaius' chambers and was surprised to see Freya standing outside the door.

"What's going on?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

"Merlin's explaining to Gwen," she replied. "I didn't want to feel like I was intruding."

"Good luck to him. That'll take a while to explain."

"Merlin's told me a lot about Gwen, so I don't think it will take that long. You don't think she'll tell anyone?"

"Freya, you don't need to worry about that. Gwen is one of the least likely people to hand Merlin over to my father."

She smiled and looked back at the door. Arthur, not knowing what to say to her, did the same.

A few more awkward minutes passed before the door opened and Gaius poked his head out, looking slightly surprised that the prince was there.

"Has he finished explaining?" Arthur asked.

"Only just," Gaius said.

Gaius opened the door fully, allowing the two inside.

Merlin and Gwen were sitting at the bench on either side. Merlin was looking very relieved and Gwen's face was full of understanding.

"I take it we're alright now?" Arthur asked.

"We were alright to begin with," Gwen said, smiling.

"She took it very well," Merlin muttered.

"Which is more than I can say for myself," Arthur said.

"What did you do?" Freya asked.

"You don't want to know," Merlin and Arthur said in unison. Freya bit her lip and Gwen frowned.

"How are the children?" Gwen asked Arthur.

"Lots of families came forward to look after them," he explained. "It wasn't hard to find good homes for all of them. We made sure that brothers and sisters stayed together."

"Thank you," Merlin said.

There was a pause.

"So what happens now?" Gwen said. "Vortigern won't take this lightly. He may already be planning a counter attack."

"We just have to wait," Gaius said from his bench. "We don't want to tempt fate or anything like that so we just have to prepare ourselves for the possible future."

Everyone nodded at his words.

* * *

A week passed without any incident or sign to show that Morgana, Morgause, Vortigern or anybody else was about to put some evil plan into action.

Merlin was very pleased to see that in such a short space of time Freya and Gwen were already firm friends. Whilst Merlin was working for Arthur, Freya went around with Gwen and helped her with her work. It sounded as if the pair was having a good time. Merlin had even tweaked the spell he had put on Freya so that Gwen could see her for what she truly looked like.

However, Merlin was also concerned at times for Freya's safety. He was sure that his spell to disguise her was working but he couldn't help but feel moments of panic when some of the knights passed her in the corridors or in the streets. One time, she had even walked past Uther and Merlin had had to force himself to not get Freya away from him quickly and to act normally. He kept reminding himself that Freya could do whatever she wanted and that he needed to stop being an overprotective fool. But then he would always think the dreaded thought – 'what if'. Merlin found that he caught himself thinking about Freya whenever she was with Gwen and he was with Gaius or Arthur and hoping that she and the baby were alright. He had to tell himself that Gwen would take care of her.

One evening, Merlin and Freya were eating dinner. Gaius had gone to a meeting with Uther, leaving the two alone.

"You're really lucky you have a friend like Gwen," Freya said, stabbing at her soup with a spoon. "She has a good heart."

"You both get on very well," Merlin said through a mouthful of his meal. Freya laughed as he nearly choked, his mouth stretching into a weird grimace.

"It makes such a big change to what I'm used to. In my 'previous life', the only person who showed any compassion towards me was you; and now I have you, Gaius, Gwen and Arthur, though Arthur... Well I'm not sure... Arthur is really kind but I'm not sure if I can call him a friend yet."

"Arthur can sometimes be very hard to read. Don't worry about it."

The door suddenly opened.

"Speak of the devil," Merlin muttered. Arthur gave him a weird look and shook his head.

"Merlin, we have to leave right now," he said. "It is a matter of urgency."

"What's happened now?" Freya asked.

"We received word from Morgana's cousin, Sir Kay, a while ago. Morgana was sighted in the village he is patron to. I'm leaving now with several knights."

Merlin looked at Freya with an apologetic look.

"Go," she said, smiling. "I'll be fine with Gaius."

"I'm sorry," Merlin muttered, walking around the table and giving her a chaste kiss. "I'll be back soon." He turned to Arthur and walked out of the room, staring back at Freya, whose eyes crinkled with humour.

"What do I need to pack?"

"Already done."

"You packed your own stuff?" Merlin stared at Arthur in amazement.

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I am. I'm the one that usually has to do the packing for you."

"I let you off because we wanted to get going after I fetched you."

"I take it I'm the only servant going."

"Yes."

"Great..."

* * *

The night was cold and frosty. Merlin sensed that winter was fast coming. He could see the white frost that covered the veins of the leaves, giving them an eerie glow. His breath rose in a visible cloud, evaporating into the air. The forest around them was completely silent, the trees lit up by the small fire.

Arthur and the knights were asleep, leaving Merlin on watch, though this time he had volunteered to do so. Sitting on a log, Merlin tried to keep his fingers warm by rubbing them together. The fire provided little warmth so he couldn't use that to help keep the blood circulation going in his fingers, which were slowly turning purple.

Merlin suddenly felt something fall on his back and he whipped around to see a blanket covering him. One of the knights was standing next to him.

"Can I sit with you?" he asked. Merlin nodded. The knight sat on the cold ground. He looked up to see that Merlin was just staring at him.

"I did give that to you to keep you warm," the knight said. "Your fingers look as if they're about to fall off."

"Thanks," Merlin muttered. "Have you just joined the knights?"

"Yes, I only joined last week. Uther's desperate to find some more knights because of what's happening with Vortigern, Morgana and that sorceress, Ma'ab."

"I don't think Ma'ab's a problem anymore."

"Well as some say, you can't be too careful. I'm Safir by the way."

"I'm-"

"I know who you are, Merlin. The number of times you've got yourself involved in Camelot's problems; the stories that some of the knights have told me. You were the one that that sorceress kidnapped and also who Vortigern wanted a few months ago."

"Don't tell anyone but he still does."

"Why?"

"I can't explain."

"Alright; I know it's not my business anyway. It's just that some of the other knights keep speculating about what he wants with you. I mean, you're a servant. I'd understand it if he wanted Arthur but with you, well, many don't see sense to it. Dagonet over there reckons he might be your father or something. We all told him to shut up."

"My father died about half a year ago and I barely knew him."

"I'm sorry. I can sympathise. My parents died of an illness when I was five. I can barely remember either of them."

Merlin stared at Safir.

"What?"

"None of the others bother talking to someone like me."

"I was practically raised by my parents' servants. They were like the family I never had. I suppose I learned to not see the line that separates servants and nobles. In my opinion, everybody should be equal because we're all human."

"I've only ever heard one nobleman say something like that before."

"Who?"

Merlin looked around at Arthur.

"He once came with me to save my village," Merlin explained. "He said that everyone there was equal."

"He's got the makings of a good king."

"Despite being a bit of prat."

Merlin bit his tongue at what he had just said. Instead of becoming stern, Safir laughed.

"I like you, Merlin," he said, smiling. "You seem like one of those people who aren't afraid to say what they think."

One of the other knights stirred. Safir swore under his breath.

"Oops," he muttered.

"I don't think they'll wake up," Merlin said, "the knights drank quite a bit of wine."

"They'll regret that tomorrow." Chuckling to himself, Safir stretched.

"Do you know what the Lady Morgana was like?" he asked Merlin. "Before she went off with that other sorceress, that is."

Merlin sighed.

"She was... kind and she didn't take anything lying down. And she was loyal. I thought she was a friend."

"You were friends with her?"

"The first time we actually spoke was when her maid, my friend Gwen, was accused of being a witch. We proved that she was innocent and we helped each other out a number of times after that. She came with Arthur to my village. She was a really good fighter."

"Do you know what turned her?"

Merlin bit his lip, thinking carefully about what to say. He decided on what was close enough to the truth.

"A few months before she vanished she became scared. She didn't know who to turn to... and... One night she came to see Gaius but he wasn't there. She was so frightened and she just opened up and... I couldn't believe it, but she just confessed to me that she had magic... The next day, she was kidnapped by the Druids and when she got back she was fine... I should have realised that they may have said something to her." Merlin couldn't believe he had opened up like this to a complete stranger.

"Wait, you knew that the Lady Morgana had magic?"

"I couldn't exactly tell anyone. The king would have had her burnt at the stake and that was something I didn't want to happen. She was fine but then... about two years ago, there was this Druid boy. Morgana tried to help him escape but they got caught. He managed to escape anyway. It looked like Morgana had formed some sort of connection with him. He then came with a warlock to convince her to steal the Crystal of Neahtid. This is just what Arthur and I deduced from what she was saying when she was with Vortigern that time a few months ago. She then left with Morgause."

"I take it Morgause is another sorceress."

Merlin nodded.

"I think you were right not to tell anyone. You had no idea that she would turn evil and you were helping a friend. It may not have worked out for the best but... well, it's not your fault."

"You can't tell anyone else about what I've told you. Arthur knows but you cannot tell anyone else."

"My lips are sealed. I can see that you meant well."

"Thank you."

"Right, I don't know about you but I think you've done enough watching for tonight. I'll keep watch and you can get some sleep."

This caused Merlin to stare slightly, though he looked away, feeling embarrassed with himself.

"I did just say that we're all human- you need as much sleep as any of us."

"Thanks Safir."

"No problem. See you in the morning."

Stepping around the remains of the fire to his roll mat, Merlin shook his head. There was something different about that knight.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The air whipped around them and they smelt the salt mixed with it. The group were riding along the coastline, cringing away from the cold breeze. Arthur led with Merlin riding close behind him.

Further along the coast, they could see a large castle, maybe not as grand or big as Camelot but it still gave off an impressive aura. Nearby, they could see the outskirts of a village on the hilltop next to it. What made Merlin slightly nervous was that Tintagel was on the edge of a sheer cliff. The warlock knew that if anyone fell off that then they would certainly die.

"We should be there within an hour," Arthur called back. He wasn't sure if they could hear him because of the strength of the wind.

After some more riding, the group rode up to a large gate that led into a stone grey courtyard. They stared around in wonder. The architecture was magnificent.

A door suddenly opened and they all saw a young man walk down the steps, beaming. Merlin could tell that this was Sir Kay, Morgana's cousin, as the two shared similar looks, though Kay's eyes were brown instead of blue.

"I thought I caught the whiff of a prince," he called, jokingly.

"Are you sure it's not the sea salt," the prince retorted. Arthur dismounted his horse and the two embraced.

"Good to see you, Arthur," Kay muttered, letting go. "I've missed Camelot but I never seem to have the time to visit. How's your father?"

"He's good, thank you, considering the circumstances."

"Ah, yes." Kay cleared his throat.

"This," Arthur said, diverting the man's attention away from his cousin, "is Sir Geraint, Sir Bors, Sir Safir, Sir Ywain, Sir Aglovale, Sir Hoel, Sir Tor and Sir Dagonet." Each of the knights nodded as their name was mentioned. "And this is my manservant, Merlin."

At this, Kay did an obvious double-take.

"Not that boy who Morgana kept mentioning in her letters?"

Merlin and Arthur stared at him. The knights stared at Merlin.

"Sorry?" Merlin asked.

"Before she... she went off," Kay explained, "Morgana sent me letters and she kept talking about everything- Arthur, Uther and her maidservant, Guinevere, though she kept calling her Gwen. Then a few years ago, she began to mention this boy called Merlin. I wrote to her, Morgana, one day you need to introduce me to these two servant friends of yours as they sound like very decent people."

Merlin flushed with embarrassment as Arthur stared at him.

"I don't suppose this Guinevere is with you now?" Kay asked.

"No," Arthur replied, "she's back at Camelot."

"Oh well, one day... But how rude of me, you've been riding for God knows how long and I haven't even invited you out of this blasted wind."

Motioning for them to follow, Arthur, Merlin and the knights left their horses with some of Kay's servants and walked up the steps and inside the castle. They were immediately hit by warmth and they all shivered as they were still accustomed to the cold.

"I wasn't sure how many of you would be coming," Kay said, turning around and somehow walking backwards, "so I had rooms arranged for about twenty. I see I only needed half that number."

"Thank you for the consideration," Arthur said. Kay waved a hand.

One by one, the knights were shown their separate quarters, where they would be sleeping for the duration of the stay. Soon it was only Arthur and Merlin who accompanied Sir Kay.

Quite suddenly, Kay stopped on a staircase.

"So what's this I hear about the Vortigern turning up at Camelot? Word travels fast and I was surprised to hear that."

Arthur briefly glanced back at Merlin.

"He's increasing his efforts to take the throne of Camelot," he explained.

"And is it true about Morgana...helping him?" The man looked slightly ill as he said this.

"A few months ago, she, along with a fellow sorceress, tried very hard to kill my father. My servant, Merlin, was the one who prevented them killing him."

Kay nodded and sniffed.

"I'm sorry... it just saddens me to hear that Morgana has turned evil. She's family and it was something I never expected to hear."

"Do you hate her for using magic?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin," Arthur spat, embarrassed by what the warlock had just said.

"No, I don't. I don't like it and I know that I should be angry at her but I just wonder what went wrong."

"Her loyalties were twisted, and not by magic," Arthur muttered. Kay sighed at his words.

"Enough talk about problems," Kay said, trying to brighten the mood. "We should leave them until tomorrow at least."

They continued and at the top of the staircase, Sir Kay showed them into two separate rooms, joined by a single door. Merlin stared around his in shock. In his life, he had never stayed in a room like this. All he had slept on was the floor in Ealdor and his bed in Camelot, including the cell floor in the dungeons. He had also slept on the ground when Arthur decided to go hunting or when going on some sort of quest to save Camelot.

This room was practically the equivalent to Arthur's chambers back at Camelot. Merlin might sort out the sheets every day but now he couldn't help but stare at the size of the bed in front of him. It was unbelievable.

Someone knocked at the door and Merlin turned around to see Arthur walk in. The prince raised an eyebrow at Merlin's gawping expression.

"It's just a bed, Merlin," he pointed out, gesturing at the piece of furniture.

"The only bed I've technically had is the one at Camelot," Merlin mumbled, only just managing to get the words out.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Well...this must make a difference to what you're used to."

"A difference is an understatement. I've only just realised how big these beds are."

"Well, it's an experience for you." Arthur clapped the warlock on the back.

Merlin frowned at him.

"I think I'll sleep on the floor. This sort of thing is for nobility, not for someone like me."

"Oh no, you don't. We're all Kay's guests so you might as well get used to it. You'll still be my manservant but you'll just have a few more conveniences than you usually do. It would insult him if you slept on the floor."

Merlin pulled a face but didn't say anything else.

"You may want to be warned, I already knew about Morgana writing to Kay about you and Gwen. I expect he'll ask you a lot of questions. She told me about some of his answers and back then I couldn't believe that he might be even the slightest bit interested in you."

"Thanks," Merlin said in a sarcastic tone.

"How could you forget I used to think you as an idiot?"

"You still do."

"Not so much anymore. Anyway, just thought you ought to know. He'll want to justify what she told him."

"I'll keep that in mind."

There was another knock at the door and a servant opened the door.

"Dinner is being served in the Great Hall," he said.

* * *

Merlin walked back into his room and exhaled. The dinner had gone rather well. He had resumed his usual place at Arthur's side, trying to remain unnoticed by Sir Kay so that the man couldn't ask him any questions about Morgana.

Sir Safir had been quite determined to have a conversation and Merlin had talked to him at length and the two had even accepted Arthur and Sir Hoel into their conversation at one point, before Arthur was drawn into one with their host.

Then, as expected, Sir Kay began to ask Merlin about some things Morgana had pointed out to him in her letters. Merlin noticed that the knight had looked rather sad whilst talking about his cousin but he was jolly in the conversation. To his embarrassment, Merlin was asked about the rat stew that he had made for Arthur. How Morgana had known about that, he had no idea. To further his and Arthur's humiliation, all of the knights had listened in to that part of their conversation and they had all roared with laughter, even if it had happened during a time of famine at Camelot.

Now, Merlin pulled off his jacket, shirt and neckerchief and put on his nightshirt. Looking at the monstrous bed, Merlin sat gingerly on the edge and nearly fell backwards. Telling himself to get a grip and that, for crying out loud, it was a bed, the warlock pulled the sheets away and crawled underneath them. There was no denying that it was very comfortable. Within minutes, he was asleep.

The next thing he knew was the curtains being drawn so that the sun shone into the room. Jumping up, Merlin saw Arthur by the window, already dressed and his arms folded.

"Oh," Merlin said.

"I thought you were the one who had to wake me up," Arthur said. "You were just sleeping like a baby."

Merlin glowered at him.

"How late am I?" he asked, getting out of the bed and nearly tripping from his leg being twisted in one of the sheets. Arthur smirked.

"Not very. I don't think any of the others are awake yet."

Looking out of the window, Merlin could see that it was only just coming over the horizon.

"You woke me up at the crack of dawn!" he exclaimed.

"I needed to ask you something before anybody else got up. It involves your magic. I need you to see if you can sense Morgana or Morgause or even Lamya. We need to be sure that they aren't in the immediate vicinity. We'll search the village later, but I just want to be sure that they aren't in the castle."

Merlin, understanding the weight of the situation, didn't say anything but closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He searched the castle for any trace of Morgana and the other two but found nothing apart from a small trace that was at least a week old. Opening his eyes, he faced Arthur.

"None of them are here. There's a small trace of Morgana but it's old. She came here but I can't find anything else to suggest that she's tampered with anything."

Arthur sighed and nodded at the warlock.

"Thanks Merlin. Now, I'll leave you to get changed before we start thinking about tactics for searching the village."

Arthur walked out of the room, leaving Merlin to change. The servant was just tying his neckerchief around his neck when the prince came back in.

"Are you ready yet?"

"You can be so impatient."

"Well at least I want to get on with things instead of laze around, tying a bit of material around my neck."

Merlin rolled his eyes at the window.

"Supercilious, condescending, patronizing, overbearing _and _impatient. The list is growing in my opinion."

"Shut up Merlin."

* * *

Arthur bent his head against the rain as he led the group towards the village. The sky was completely grey and the rain fell heavily on their heads and backs, soaking them all through.

Kay had told them whereabouts Morgana had been seen in the village and after breakfast, the group had immediately started to ride for it. That was when the downpour had started. The road had soon become a muddy mess and, at times, they panicked as the horses nearly slipped over but always managed to pick themselves up.

When they finally reached the village, they made for the nearest shelter.

"Right," Arthur shouted over the loud pattering noise of the rain. "Geraint, you take Aglovale, Tor, Ywain and Dagonet and search the southern part of the village. The rest of us will take the north."

"What happens if we find something and we need to alert you?" Sir Tor asked in a gruff voice.

"There's a watchtower in the middle of the village," Arthur said. "If you find anything or find some sort of danger, you go there and ring that bell. The rest of us will come running. Stay there until we find you. Remember to ask questions but don't draw to much attention to yourselves."

The knights nodded and then began to brave the rain again. Arthur led his group to the northern part of the village. Quite soon, the rain let up and eventually stopped completely.

"Thank God for that," Merlin muttered.

"Don't tell me you don't like the rain?"  
"Not unless you want to catch pneumonia and die."

Arthur made a slight shrugging movement with his shoulders and looked down at his armour, which was glistening with raindrops.

The group then split in half, or as near to half as it could get. Arthur and Sir Bors searched one half and Merlin went with Sir Hoel and Safir. The warlock was quick to notice that both got on very well but only Safir seemed to want to accept Merlin as somewhat of an equal.

After a lengthy search, during which they asked many questions, Safir huffed.

"This is pointless," he mumbled to Merlin. "If we haven't found anything by now, I doubt we will. The others may have had more luck but it doesn't look like it."

"Morgana could have enchanted something to hide whatever it might be," Merlin said.

"True, which means we'll never find it, if anything does exist. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly that good at breaking enchantments."

Merlin shook his head. Safir did have a point.

At that moment, Hoel walked back over to them.

"This old lady selling heather saw Morgana about a week ago on the path," he explained, more to Safir than to Merlin. "Apparently Morgana used to come here when she visited Sir Kay and this lady saw her a couple of times back then. She tried to say hello but Morgana just scarpered. She looked shocked when I told her that Morgana has become an evil sorceress."

"The news hasn't spread to the outlying villages like this one," Safir told him. "Kay only found out because he's her cousin."

"Still," Hoel said, "people should be told so they can prepare themselves for an attack."

The bell suddenly went off and the three froze. They stood there, staring at each other for a few moments before they began to run towards the centre of the village. They met Arthur and Bors halfway.

"They must have found something," Arthur grunted as they ran. But that was when they heard the snarling and the screaming of people.

Reaching the watchtower, the five saw the others fighting off what were unmistakably Howlers.

"Dear God," Bors muttered.

"Howlers," Arthur cried, drawing his sword. Merlin moaned as he recognised Excalibur.

"Arthur," he said, "I thought I warned you-"

"Not now Merlin."

The other knights drew their swords and ran at the Howlers, aiding their comrades. Merlin didn't join the fray but instead started to help the villagers get away from the beasts. At one point he had to drop a barrel- using magic- onto one of them when it tried to attack a mother and her baby. It didn't kill the Howler but it stunned it, allowing the woman to flee with her child.

Arthur seemed to be the one doing the killing. The others' weapons appeared to be useless against the magical beasts but Excalibur cut through their hides with ease. Pretty soon, there was only one left and Arthur cut it down without much difficulty.

Panting, the knights leant against the watchtower.

"You just had to open your mouth, Hoel," Safir muttered. Hoel shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never seen anything like that," Geraint said to Arthur. "And I was there with those gargoyles. Our weapons were practically useless against them, apart from yours."

Arthur had to stop himself from looking at Merlin, who was inspecting the pack of Howlers.

"We were lucky," Arthur muttered. "There weren't as many as there were in that cathedral. We only just got out of there."

"We've barely scraped through this as it is. We're lucky no one was injured."

"We may have a problem," Merlin called. They all looked at him. "I just remembered what I read about Howlers. They're vicious and they never travel in packs because they'd kill each other."

"Uh, Merlin," Arthur said. "You can count, can't you?"

"Let me finish. The only way they can travel in numbers greater than one is if they are influenced by magic."

"Oh great," Safir muttered.

"Morgana?" Aglovale asked Arthur. The prince shrugged.

"We need to get back to Tintagel," Arthur said. "Sir Kay should be warned about this."

Muttering their agreement, the group headed back towards the horses and were thankful to find that they were still there even after all of the commotion caused by the Howlers.

The road was still rather muddy from the rain but the weather had now improved a great deal. The sea was a glistening grey and the sky was blue and the remaining clouds were a pearly white.

When they reached the gates of Tintagel, Arthur drew them to a halt. He stared around, suspiciously.

"Something's wrong," he whispered.

Looking around they saw that, indeed, nobody was in the courtyard when it had been full of people bustling around.

Sir Tor opened his mouth but Arthur gave him a sharp look.

"Don't call out," he muttered.

They dismounted and crept towards the stairs, keeping an eye out for anything abnormally suspicious. Apart from the lack of people and the eerie silence, they couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary.

At the foot of the stairs, Merlin drew to a sudden halt and stared into space.

"Oh no," he mumbled. Rushing up to Arthur he stopped the prince from carrying on.

"Merlin, what the-"

"I just sensed a very powerful spell," the warlock muttered. "I'm not sure what it is but it can't be good. I think we've just walked into a trap."


	9. Chapter 8

_I hope that you are enjoying this considering the amount of p__eople who have put this on their alerts and favourites, so thank you very much._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Arthur stared at Merlin for a few moments before groaning.

"We should have realised that," he muttered. "But-"

"How did I miss it? That's what I've just been asking myself. It definitely wasn't there this morning."

"What's going on?" Safir whispered.

Arthur looked at him then at the other Knights.

"We're not sure but from now on we'll have to extra careful," he explained. "Nobody leaves the group unless I say. Do not attack anyone unless they openly challenge us."

However confused they might be, the knights nodded and the continued, swords at the ready. They crept along the corridors but found nobody.

"It's as if they didn't exist," Dagonet muttered audibly. "You don't think it could all have been a spell?"

"I don't know," Arthur whispered. "I'm not exactly the expert on spells."

Arthur tried to catch Merlin's eye but when he looked around he couldn't see the warlock anywhere.

"Where's Merlin?" he asked.

The knights stared around, looking for Merlin.

"He's gone off somewhere," Safir muttered.

"The idiot," Arthur hissed. "He's most likely snuck off on his own to see if he can find something."

"Shouldn't we go and find him?"

Arthur looked at Safir.

"He'll find us again. Despite appearances, he's not stupid."

"I never thought he was."

The prince chuckled to himself. Merlin had found another friend in a nobleman.

Arthur's guess at where Merlin had gone was correct. The warlock had snuck off to find Sir Kay, who must know something about the supposed trap. He might even know something about the spell itself.

Creeping along the corridors, Merlin suddenly heard approaching footsteps. He hid behind a stone column and listened as the footsteps passed. Looking around the column, he saw Sir Kay walking with a couple of soldiers. Smiling to himself, Merlin followed them, dodging behind more columns and peering around corners as he did so.

After a few minutes, Sir Kay drew to a halt in front of another soldier.

"Have you secured the vessel?" Kay asked him.

"Yes sir," the man replied. "It's in the crypt."

"Good. My cousin would be most displeased if Arthur finds it. Keep an eye out for that servant as well. The Lady Morgana said that he's dangerous despite looking like an imbecile."

Merlin raised his eyebrows from where he was hidden.

"Permit me to ask, sir, but what does the vessel do?"

"I have no idea. Lady Morgana wasn't very specific. Have they been spotted yet?"

"No sir, but it's only a matter of time. Their horses are outside so they should be here somewhere."

Merlin had heard enough. Knowing that he had to get back to Arthur, Merlin began to edge his way around the column. However, he didn't see the table with the brass plate on it. As he knocked it with his leg, the plate went crashing to the floor. Merlin held his breath. To his dismay, he heard footsteps come towards him. Wishing he had a sword, the warlock threw a punch at the soldier with a lot more force than he had anticipated.

"It's the servant!" Kay shouted.

Another soldier managed to grab Merlin and dragged him towards Sir Kay. He wasn't very gentle about it either. Merlin was thrown at the knight's feet.

"Well, well," Kay said. "Did Arthur send you to spy on me?"

"No."

"So you came by yourself. My cousin has expressed an interest in you, Merlin. I have no idea why but I am happy to deliver. She said something about her sister."

"I didn't know you knew about Morgause," Merlin muttered.

"Silence." Kay struck Merlin across the face.

Surprised, Merlin stared into Kay's eyes and reached out. It wasn't hard to find the spell that ensnared his mind, which definitely hadn't been there earlier. Looking at the soldiers, he saw that they too were under the same enchantment.

Knowing that he had to get to the vessel to free them, Merlin lashed out with his feet and sent the soldier that had grabbed him to the floor.

The warlock ran back down the corridor, well aware that they were chasing him. Using his magic to search, he felt Arthur and the knights. They were moving towards the Great Hall, in completely the wrong direction.

Quickening his pace, Merlin sprinted towards the Great Hall and within minutes he could see Arthur and the knights.

"Merlin," Arthur said in a scolding manner, "I thought I said-"

"Run," Merlin interrupted.

Staring around, the knights heard the approaching soldiers.

"What have you done now, Merlin?" Arthur muttered as they turned and pounded down the corridor.

"I found out what's going on," the warlock explained.

"That's what we were going to do as a group. We were thinking Sir Kay might be able to explain things."

"That's not going to do any good. Morgana has put an enchantment on all of them. I think the Howlers were a distraction to try and get rid of the knights so that it would be only you that would return. I think he means to kill you."

"Is there any way to break this enchantment?"

"The vessel's in the crypt. You were just going the wrong way. We need to get there before they think I've told you."

"But first we need to lose your friends back there."

"Wait." Turning around, they saw that it was Sir Aglovale who had called.

"In here," he whispered, holding a door open. "It's a latrine room, they wouldn't think we'd all fit."

Though they all made a face, they didn't complain as they rushed into the room. Everybody held their noses as Arthur stared at of the small crack between the door and the doorway which they had left. They all heard Merlin's pursuers rush past. They all exhaled.

"Don't tell me you just walked down the corridor in plain sight," Safir muttered to the warlock.

"No, there was a small problem with a brass plate," Merlin explained.

"Clumsy," Arthur muttered.

"Clot-pole," Merlin mumbled so that only Arthur and Safir heard him. Safir snorted and put a hand over his mouth. Geraint made a shushing noise.

"We just need to concentrate on getting to the crypt," he said, sounding odd as his hand was still pinching his nose. A few of the knights' eyes were watering.

"Do you know how to get there?" Tor asked Arthur. The prince nodded.

Peering out the door, Arthur sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing.

"The coast's clear," he muttered. Opening the door fully, he led the group down the corridor.

They were lucky in that they met nobody as they made their way towards the crypt. It was unlucky for Merlin because as they got closer, he began to shake more. Morgana's spell was powerful and it sent waves of trepidation through him.

"_Get a grip_," he thought, "_you're the Leader of the Old Religion_." But that was the reason why the spell was having a huge impact on him.

"Are you alright there, Merlin?" he heard Safir ask.

Arthur looked round at his servant.

"Merlin?"

"He's as pale as a sheet."

"I'm fine," Merlin muttered. "I've just got a bit of a bad feeling."

"I think we all do," Arthur said, "but that doesn't mean we're all pale white."

Arthur put a reassuring hand on Merlin's shoulder before turning around. He knew that Merlin could sense the spell but if the warlock looked ill then that meant it was pretty powerful. The group continued onwards.

Eventually they came to a long flight of stairs that disappeared into darkness. Arthur led them down, Excalibur at the ready. The knights followed his example with their swords out. Merlin, who didn't have a sword, settled for thinking that he'd only use very simple magic to go unnoticed if anything went wrong. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

At the bottom, they could barely see anything. Torches were attached to the walls at very infrequent places.

"There's another flight of stairs that leads to the crypt," Arthur explained, "but there's also one that leads into the guards' armoury."

"What's behind these doors?" Ywain asked.

"These are the cells. Be careful; Kay's men could be hiding in any of them."

"What happens if we face them?" Hoel asked.

"We knock them out. We can't kill them because they're under a spell so they aren't controlling their own actions. Kill anything else."

"What if Morgana's here?" Merlin muttered.

"Then we do everything to force her away. We don't have enough men to even attempt to actually prevent her doing anything else in the future."

"I could always..." Merlin whispered to Arthur so that only he could hear. He raised his eyebrows instead of saying 'use my magic'.

"Don't even think about it. If we get out of this, I don't want to go back and find that my father's put a death penalty on your head."

"I could always lead her away from you lot."

"Merlin, we stick together. No unnecessary heroics that could get you killed."

The warlock nodded and noticed that the knights were looking at him and Arthur in a curious fashion, obviously wanting to know what they had just been discussing. Arthur noticed this to and diverted the knights' attention by carrying on towards the crypt.

They soon came to a staircase that was led down a quite long flight of stairs.

"Is this it?" Safir asked Arthur, who he was standing right next to.

"No," Arthur whispered, "that's the door to the armoury. The staircase to the crypt is further along this corridor."

Unnoticed by any of them, Merlin had frozen. He had suddenly felt a nagging sensation in the back of his head and it didn't feel like a good thing. That was when his eyes found the cell door that was directly facing the staircase and he saw that Arthur and Safir were standing right in the middle of the two. He then saw a shadow through the small window in the cell door.

"Watch out!" he shouted, running up to the two men and pushing them out of the way. Arthur and Safir fell to the floor.

At that same moment, the door burst open and a Howler leapt out of the cell and collided with the warlock. Arthur and the knights watched in horror as the Merlin and the beast tumbled down the stairway.

A man then ran out of the cell but was immediately cut down by Ywain, even though he too was recovering from the scare of what had just happened.

"Merlin," Arthur said, his insides reeling with shock. Feeling slightly numb, the prince picked himself up off the floor and jogged down the stairs. Possibly because he was so desperate to reach Merlin, it seemed to take forever to reach the bottom. He froze at what lay in front of him.

Merlin was pinned underneath the Howler, which appeared to be just stunned. A long cut arched over one of his eyebrows, blood trickling onto the floor. On the other side of the warlock's head, the skin above his temple was also bleeding heavily. Merlin was unconscious and it was clear he was having trouble to breathe.

Arthur nudged the creature off of the boy and drove Excalibur into its hide. The Howler gave a pitiful yelp before its life left it.

The prince then fell to his knees, dropped the sword and lifted Merlin's form towards him. Now that he could see more closely, Arthur could see bruises appearing around the cut above Merlin's temple. The servant's breathing was still laboured.

"Merlin?" Arthur whispered, gently. Merlin showed no sign that he had heard and that he would regain consciousness. The prince felt even more shock settle in. Merlin couldn't die again. Both of them had guessed that the Earth wouldn't save him a second time and Arthur refused to believe that falling down some stairs would kill him. He knew that Freya was pregnant with Merlin's child but Arthur thought that the ritual had to be performed, although he wasn't too sure about this. If Merlin did die, then what would happen? The prince drove the thought out of his head. Merlin wasn't going to die; Arthur wasn't going to let that happen.

Arthur felt rather than saw the knights come down the stairs. Looking up, he saw Safir gawping at the warlock, his face white.

"How the hell did he know that would happen?" the knight muttered.

"I don't know," Arthur replied, his voice cracking.

"How bad is he?"

"His skull might be damaged," Arthur mumbled.

Safir bent down and lifted Merlin out of Arthur's arms. The prince looked slightly mad but the knight reassured him.

"He'd want us to break that enchantment. The only way he'll be able to get any help is if we do. I'll carry him; you're a better fighter than I am."

Arthur nodded stiffly and returned to his feet, picking up Excalibur as he did so.

"Guard him with your life," he told Safir. The knight nodded; a determined expression on his face.

Arthur walked back up the stairs, feeling incredibly angry. Morgana's magic had once again hurt Merlin and now the prince was in a very bad mood. The knights fell into step behind him.

They reached the stairs that led to the crypt without any further difficulty and they walked down, opened the door and entered a cold and dark room full of tombs. Cobwebs hung from practically everywhere- white on marble grey. The entire effect was enough to chill a person to the bone but then again, it was a crypt.

Sir Kay and some of his men were standing in the middle of the room, surrounding some sort of staff that was stuck into the floor. Arthur recognised it as the sort of staff that Aulfric and Sophia had had when they had come to Camelot. The prince recalled what Ma'ab had made him dream about and shivered slightly at the thought of the image of himself drowning.

Kay smiled wickedly.

"You seem to be familiar with the staff of the Sidhe of Avalon, Arthur," he said.

"I've come across it before," Arthur muttered. "Why are you doing this, Kay?"

"There's a saying- blood is thicker than water- and it holds true for me and Morgana. My cousin wants you and the servant boy, though he doesn't look far from this world does he."

"No thanks to one of your men releasing a Howler on him."

"Speaking of Howlers, they seem to have failed to kill your Knights."

Arthur glared at him. Merlin's guess had been right, though Arthur thought that some mind-reading might have been involved.

One of Kay's men suddenly ran at Arthur, his sword flailing in the air. Arthur brought Excalibur against the other sword and was amazed to see the other blade break in half as if it was a twig. Deciding not to gawp at his sword's work, Arthur quickly knocked his opponent out with Excalibur's hilt.

A fight ensued. Kay's men ran at the knights and it appeared to be two to one in Sir Kay's favour but the knights were equally matched in skill to those they were fighting as a whole. Safir carried Merlin's body out of harm's way and watched as his fellows fought the other men.

Safir was not cowardly. He was a very brave man but Arthur had told him to protect Merlin with his life and the knight wasn't about to leave the unconscious boy defenceless.

Arthur was fighting at least three men at once when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Sir Kay walked carefully towards where Safir was standing with Merlin. Knowing what he was about to do, the prince made quick work of the soldiers and ran at Morgana's cousin.

"Don't even think about it," he shouted.

Excalibur met Kay's sword and the two men grappled.

"You'll never touch him," Arthur grunted through gritted teeth. Kay suddenly span around as Safir came at him with his sword. The knight jumped on top of Kay, forcing him to the floor. Looking around, Arthur saw Merlin lying safely out of sight behind a tomb.

"Break the spell!" Safir shouted from the floor.

Not needing to be told twice, Arthur ran at the staff and immediately cleaved it in half. Excalibur broke through any enchantments protecting it.

A wave of blue light shot out of the staff and knocked everybody to the floor. To none of their knowledge, anybody in the castle who had been affected by the enchantment was sent to the floor by the blast, meaning that they were free.

In the crypt, Arthur dragged himself to his feet and hobbled over to Sir Kay, who had been temporarily knocked out by the blast.

"Arthur?" he asked. "What happened? Why are we in the crypt?" His face then turned white. "Arthur, I've just remembered, Morgana turned up-"

"Kay, you can explain to me later," Arthur said. "Everybody in Tintagel had a spell put on them by Morgana and they were under orders to capture me and my servant and kill the knights."

"Oh God! Arthur-"

"It is not your fault. Morgana has proved to be very powerful even if she has only been practising dark magic for a few months."

"And she's caused enough problems already," they heard Sir Ywain mutter.

"Shut up, Ywain," Sir Bors said.

That was when Kay spotted Merlin behind the tomb. His face became even more shocked than before.

"A Howler leapt at him and they fell down the stairs leading to the armoury. He saved me and Sir Safir."

Kay stood up.

"Arthur, I need to warn you... our physician left about a week or two ago. He had some sort of family emergency in Northumbria."

Sighing heavily, Arthur stared down at Merlin.

"Safir, can I ask a favour?"

The knight nodded, guessing what he was going to be asked to do.

"I need you to go and get Gaius. Don't stop until you get back and explain to my father as quickly as you can. If it's possible, could you be back here within at least three days."

Safir nodded and ran out of the room towards the courtyard.

* * *

Gaius, Gwen and Freya rushed into the courtyard. Gwen had recognised Sir Safir as being one of the knights that had gone with Arthur and had immediately gone to fetch the other two. What had worried her was that nobody else had returned.

Uther was currently conversing with Safir in the middle of the courtyard. The three weren't reassured by the fact that he was frowning.

"Is everything alright, Sire?" Gaius called as they walked up to the two men. He looked at Safir.

"We reached Tintagel," the knight explained, "and soon discovered that Sir Kay and his soldiers had been enchanted by Morgana. Prince Arthur was able to break the enchantment but there was a serious casualty. Merlin saved my life and Arthur's from a Howler that leapt at us. The pair fell down some stairs. He's in a very bad way and I don't think any of us think that he should be moved from Tintagel."

Gaius' eyes widened with horror, Gwen stood there, frozen and Freya visibly trembled.

"I'm sorry but I can't give you an estimate of how long we think he'll last without treatment. I left yesterday afternoon. Their physician is away on business in Northumbria."

"I'll need to leave straight away," Gaius said, turning to Uther. The king nodded. Bowing, Gaius and the two women rushed back inside towards Gaius' chambers.

Gwen turned to Freya who was still shaking from shock and fear.

"He'll be fine, Freya," Gwen said, hoping that that was the truth.

"I hope so," Freya mumbled. "I hope so."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Arthur watched as Merlin struggled to breathe. The warlock looked so helpless for one as powerful as he was. The boy was incredibly pale and the wound by Merlin's temple was still bleeding, though it appeared to be stopping as the hours passed. Arthur daubed at the blood as he did every now and then. The bruises were bright purple against the almost white skin and Arthur could see some sort of dents around the wound, though he pretended to himself that they weren't there, knowing full well what it meant. They were not as bad as they had been a few days ago, meaning that the warlock was healing gradually but Arthur still felt worried.

Merlin had been moved to the room he had been staying in during the visit. He was currently covered by all of the sheets because of how cold he was. Arthur watched as he trembled in his sleep, fighting for his life once more.

"Arthur?"

The prince turned away from Merlin and saw Sir Kay standing in the doorway.

"I've just received word that Sir Safir was just spotted passing the village with three others."

He looked at Merlin who groaned, his brow furrowing from pain. Arthur hushed him.

"I'm so sorry," Kay muttered.

"Stop apologising," Arthur said. "Merlin's been blaming himself about stuff that's happened recently when it wasn't his fault. I don't want to see you doing the same. You've explained what happened and nobody would expect anything less."

"I thought I could believe her. She seemed genuinely honest."

"Morgause has been teaching her some new tricks, not that she couldn't already be manipulative when she wanted to be."

"Do you think she'll come back?"

"She should know by now that her spell's been broken. She'll try something else but something tells me it's Vortigern's turn."

"I see."

At that Sir Kay excused himself from the room, leaving Arthur alone with the warlock alone once more.

Not long after he had left, the prince heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the corridor outside. He turned around just in time to see Gaius, Gwen, Freya and Sir Safir enter. All of them stared at Merlin in blank shock. None of them moved.

Freya was the first to break out of the trance-like state. She walked over to the bed. Arthur immediately stood up and gave her his chair. She sat down and took Merlin's hand in one of her own. With the other she stroked his hair away from his forehead.

Gaius then went over to his ward and began to inspect his condition. He carefully looked at the warlock's head wound and was horrified at what he saw, even though he knew that Merlin was healing. He was relieved to discover that despite the initial shock, Merlin would live. After inspecting Merlin's torso, he was able to deduce that nothing else was wrong with him. He turned to the others.

"The Howler took most of the impact," he said, lying because Safir was there. "He just needs a tonic to ease his breathing and he should be fine in a few days."

Safir sighed and the others looked relieved.

"Safir could you please go and let Sir Kay know," Arthur said, guessing that Gaius wasn't being exactly truthful. "He's been worrying about it for the last few days."

The knight nodded and, with a happier mood about him, left to go and deliver the news. Gwen made sure that the door was closed firmly behind him.

Arthur turned back to Gaius.

"How bad is it really?"

Gaius sighed.

"Part of his skull was crushed by the impact."

Arthur paled, Gwen had to find a chair to sit on and Freya looked very ill, biting her lip.

"It's healing but it will take a while."

"Do you think it damaged his brain?" Freya asked.

"He'd be dead if that was the case. Luckily, the Howler _did_ take most of the impact otherwise his ribs would most likely be broken as well."

"Thank God," Arthur muttered, rubbing his forehead with a hand.

Gwen stood up and went over to Arthur. The pair hugged each other tightly.

"Sir Safir told us that Merlin pushed you and him out of the way."

"He did; right after I told the idiot not to be unnecessarily heroic."

"How is saving you unnecessary?"

"He wouldn't be in this state if he hadn't."

"No, you and Sir Safir would probably be instead and you know that you cannot heal like Merlin. You'd probably be dead."

Arthur sighed and didn't bother to continue the argument.

"Before we went to search the village," he said, looking at Gaius, "I asked him to try and sense any spells. All he found was a slight trace of Morgana that was quite old. He didn't sense the spell at all."

The physician nodded.

"There are some types of enchantments that cannot be traced by any magic until they become active," he explained. "They would have to use some sort of powerful magical object to perform such a spell."

"That would explain why they used a Sidhe staff."

Freya looked up from Merlin.

"What?" she said, looking astonished.

"Morgana used a Sidhe staff for the enchantment," Arthur told her. Gwen broke out of the hug, looking between the two.

"The Sidhe would never help someone like Morgana," Freya said. "They may be known to do things that we consider wrong for their own ends but they know not to mess with matters such as this. The Sidhe King would never allow it. I've met him once and he swore on his species to Ma'ab that they would have nothing to do with Morgana. The Sidhe are honourable creatures who are bound to their word and they keep it."

"Ma'ab made the king swear on his own species?" Arthur said, surprised.

"She must have been very concerned for Merlin," Gwen muttered. The others knew that she was right. Ma'ab had proven this when she had faced the black dragon before she had taken Merlin to save him.

"What if Morgana killed a Sidhe and stole its staff?" Gwen asked.

"It's possible," Gaius said. "The Sidhe rarely leave Avalon but there is some sort of initiation that requires them to leave it. Morgana may have caught one unawares."

"I'll have to speak to the king about it," Freya muttered.

Merlin suddenly whimpered and tossed slightly in the bed. His breathing became even vaguer. Freya grabbed hold of his hand again and Gaius rushed over to his pouch and brought out some herbs.

"I need some water," he said.

"I'll get it," Gwen said, rushing out of the room.

Arthur went around the other side of the bed and stared at his servant, who was beginning to shake again. Looking at Freya, he could see that her eyes were brimming with tears. Reaching over, he patted her on the shoulder.

"He's going to be fine," he reassured her. "We both know he's been through worse, death being one of them."

Freya smiled.

"We haven't even thought of a name for the baby yet," she said.

"You're only two months pregnant; you've still got a while."

"I know but time flies, doesn't it."

Arthur gave her a nod and turned back to Merlin. He had calmed down but his breathing was gradually becoming worse.

After a few minutes, Gwen came back with a full bucket of water. She placed it on the table, allowing Gaius to mix some with the herbs in a small vial.

The old man then hurried over to Merlin and Arthur moved out of the way so that he could tip the vial's contents down the warlock's throat. Merlin swallowed with apparently not much difficulty. A few seconds later, his breathing began to even out and a small amount of colour appeared on his thin cheeks. The shaking stopped and Merlin lay still, looking a lot more relaxed.

They all sighed, relieved that one of the most immediate worries was over. Now all they could do was wait for him to wake.

* * *

Merlin felt himself floating in thin air. He was blinded by a bright white and he had no idea how he had got there. He had been there for who knew how long and he barely remember anything.

At one point, he felt something lift away from him and it was like a veil had been drawn from over his eyes. He could remember everything. Arthur and Safir and the Howler. Merlin felt a ripple of shock. Was he dead? The last thing that had happened was him falling down the stairs with the beast.

"Hello," he called into the bright nothingness around him. He wasn't comforted that nothing else was there. He was entirely on his own. Or was he?

Looking around, Merlin stopped when he saw a figure begin to condense out of the light. He stared warily at it until he could tell who it was.

"I'm dead, aren't I," he muttered, feeling bewilderment course through him.

"No," Balinor said, "but you're close to it."

"How can you be here? If I'm not dead but you are-"

"This is a very advanced form of necromancy."

"That's dark magic."

"Not this. Because of the power you have, you've been able to bring me back in your head. Only for a short while, though. The Vault of Souls only permits any occupants that escape it a short time before they are dragged back in."

"The Vault of Souls?"

"Don't ask and don't go looking for it. Many have been driven mad trying."

"Hang on, why am I not dead then? I died but I haven't gone back."

"The Earth saved you before your soul entered it."

"This...is all just very confusing."

Balinor chuckled. He then embraced his son, who just stood there, feeling slightly numb.

"Is mother..." Merlin gave him a meaningful look as they broke apart.

"She's fine. You could only bring one person back and you've just lost her so it wasn't a very good idea for you to see her."

"I lost you to."

"I know but your mother's death nearly tore you apart, not that my death hadn't taken its toll. You were willing to give yourself up to Vortigern partly because you felt slightly dead and you thought he'd finish it."

"Instead I find out he's family. I know she's dead, but does she know?"

"Yes, but she's not as affected by it as she might have been. It was actually Ma'ab who told her."

"So she is dead. Not that I didn't know it already but... I didn't want to be sure."

"I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell you about her."

"We were a bit busy. She was a very good person."

"And now you have inherited even more of the family magic."

Merlin sighed. Balinor gripped him reassuringly by the shoulder.

"It's not a bad thing, I get that," Merlin said. "It shocked Arthur though."

He turned to his father.

"Do you remember anything about..."

"The ritual that gave Ma'ab her powers? A bit, though really it's just a lot of light that I guess was the lightning. I was barely a month old when that happened and within another month my mother died from her grief." Balinor sat down, as did Merlin.

"You never knew your father."

"Ma'ab told you about how he died before I was even born. All I ever knew about him was what Ma'ab and Evander told me and I also had to rely on what they told me about my mother."

"That can't have been easy."

"Evander was there for both of us and Ma'ab was more of a mother than a sister. She was a teenager at the time and she was brilliant. Then, when I was sixteen, Evander was killed by Vortigern. From then on it was just us two but when I turned eighteen Ma'ab found the ruined castle with the faerie family. They took us in and taught us a bit more about our magic. Ma'ab didn't need much help as she was already really good with her magic.

"Then about twenty years ago, as you know, I summoned Kilgharrah at Uther's request and he betrayed me. Gaius helped me escape and took me to Ealdor. Your mother took me in without a moment's thought. She told me that she and Gaius would never let an innocent man like me die at Uther's hand. I stayed with her and helped keep her house in the winter, during which time we fell in love."

Balinor looked up at his son, who was staring at him, apparently eager for him to continue.

"It was raining one day and we were searching for some herb that she needed for a meal. Hunith fell into a ditch and twisted her ankle and I had to help her up. She wanted to walk back by herself but I refused to let her because I could tell that she wouldn't make it."

Merlin smiled slightly. That was the sort of thing his mother would do.

"I carried her and when we got back to the house we were both soaked through. One thing led to another...and we kissed.

"A few months after that was when Uther sent his men after me and I had to leave. It was the biggest regret of my life."

"And you had no idea about me, even though Ma'ab had warned you that it was possible that you'd become a father."

"She showed you that, did she? Not surprising really, it was last time I ever saw her. No I didn't. We were in love but we never even thought of having a child. When you told me you were my son, I couldn't believe it. I was happy to find that I had a son but... well, it was a bit of a shock."

"I did just say 'I'm your son'."

The pair laughed.

"I'm proud of you, Merlin," Balinor said, suddenly. Merlin's eyebrows creased together slightly at this change in conversation.

"Of course I would be. You've been through so much in the last few months and you haven't given in. You're still going through things but you don't lose confidence in protecting Arthur and Camelot. Lesser men would have submitted by now. It proves that you are fit to be the Leader of the Old Religion."

"I'll be even fitter if I wake up."

Balinor chuckled.

"I don't think you're ready to die again."

That was when Merlin remembered something.

"Arthur told me that he heard your voice when I came back from the dead."

"I suppose he did. The stone has touched the eldest Dragonlord in each generation in our family for centuries. There was a trace of all of our magic left in it and some of Ma'ab's as well. It was mainly used as a channel for the Earth's power and afterwards it was consumed."

"That explains where it went."

Merlin looked around at the brightness surrounding them.

"How much longer do you think you have?" he asked his father.

Balinor looked around at the brightness as well.

"Not much longer. As I said, the Vault doesn't allow the people who have escaped from it that much time."

"How do I even know this is real if it is in my head?"

"That isn't what you thought when Ma'ab was in your head."

Merlin shrugged his shoulders.

"You can just trust me when I say that it is actually me in your head and not some spell that anybody has put on you."

Merlin sighed and nodded, knowing that what his father said was true.

"I forgot to mention earlier, but I have a message from your mother."

Merlin's head spun back around to face his father.

"She says under no circumstances are you to blame yourself for what's happened and what is still to come."

"She always had a way of somehow guessing something."

"Don't we both know it? I quite agree with her. We know about how you and Gaius were becoming apart and how Arthur fixed it but that still didn't stop you from blaming yourself. Maybe knowing that your mother doesn't want you to blame yourself will finally stop you. I don't want you to either. We all know you're human and you can't help it but just...don't wrap yourself up in the past too much. Slightly hypocritical of me really because I sort of blamed myself for years about my mother dying."

"How could you? You were a baby when she died."

"I thought that it was my fault somehow that she'd given up. I knew she and my father were soul mates but Ma'ab and Evander always described her as a strong person. I blamed myself because having me didn't help her grief, or at least that's what I thought. When I first told Ma'ab, she had to sit down, she was that upset that I blamed myself. The faeries went into a slight panic and managed to conjure up a dwarf. Ma'ab wasn't incredibly pleased, especially when the dwarf began to dig the floor up, looking for treasure."

"Sounds like we've both blamed ourselves for a lot of things."

Balinor nodded.

"How about we agree not to blame ourselves anymore?" Balinor suggested.

"With the life I have, that's going to be impossible."

Balinor laughed again.

"Just don't blame yourself too much. Try to move on, especially because you've got a baby coming along."

Merlin wasn't surprised that he knew about that but bit his lip anyway. Balinor laughed.

"You're going to be fine. I may have not had that much experience at all but I know that you're going to be a good father."

"What if... what if I do something wrong?"

"Doesn't every parent worry about that? Ma'ab didn't mess up with me and she wasn't exactly my mother. Evander helped her and Ma'ab was always telling me that he didn't have the faintest clue about what he was doing but he managed to pull through."

"Were you close to him?"

"He's the closest thing I ever had to father. He wasn't there sometimes- he went off on quests with the dragons and the other Dragonlords- but when he was, he taught me most of what I know, or knew because I'm dead. Ma'ab was very busy trying to help keep the balance of the world and she somehow managed to learn how to become a proper lady."

Merlin listened, intrigued. He and his father had so much in common, and they would never be able to discuss it at length. Gaius was like a father to Merlin just as Evander had been to Balinor. Evander had been Balinor's uncle just as Gaius was more so than Vortigern ever could be. Merlin now wished more than ever that Balinor hadn't died.

"Have you thought of any names for the baby yet?" Balinor asked. Merlin shook his head.

"Everything's been so hectic recently, me and Freya haven't even had time; and when we're not doing anything we just seem to forget about it. Not that I don't want to think of name but I just think that it'll be a case of thinking of a name when the baby arrives. If we do pick one beforehand, it might not suit it."

"True."

Merlin suddenly groaned and rubbed his head.

"You've nearly healed completely," Balinor said, smiling sadly. "It's time for you to leave." He clapped him on the back.

Inside him, Merlin felt a mixture of sadness and longing. He did not want to lose his father again but he knew that this was magic that he couldn't fight.

"Could you...tell mother and Ma'ab I love you all?" Merlin flinched at how pathetic he thought the words sounded.

"We already know. You'll see me again, Merlin, or maybe not."

"Maybe?"

Balinor smiled at his son. He then began to disappear as the brightness grew.

"Wait!" Merlin shouted. "Why maybe? What do you mean by maybe?"

* * *

_That is it for now so I hope that you are enjoying the story so far. I will hopefully be back to updating in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading it this far._

_MerlinStar  
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	11. Chapter 10

_Hello everyone, I'm back! Sorry for the long break, but I had some serious stuff going on. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a lot more. Keep an eye on Born To Be as well. Please reveiew as well._**  
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* * *

**Chapter 10**

Freya shifted in her chair at Merlin's bedside as she continued to gaze at him, willing him to wake up, holding his hand.

Two days had passed since she, Gwen and Gaius had arrived and by now Merlin's skull had fully healed, according to Gaius. Nobody apart from her, Gaius, Gwen or Arthur had come in here. In truth Freya had rarely left, only going when necessary. She had eaten in the room as Gwen or Arthur brought her food so that she wouldn't have to leave Merlin.

Gaius was currently asleep in a chair on the other side of the bed. He had barely left the warlock's side either. The two usually sat in silence, waiting and waiting.

The sun was beginning to rise over the distant hills. It sent on orange glow over the land, the sky a pinkish-red colour. The light shone through the window, illuminating everything with its glow.

Freya looked as the light lit up Merlin's face, showing just how pale he was. It also brought out the shadows under the warlock's eyes.

She was just letting her mind wonder when she felt something stir. There was another presence in the room, trying to make contact with Merlin. Freya was about to wake Gaius when the presence spoke to her.

"_I do not wish Merlin any harm, Freya_."

Freya froze in shock. "_How do you know my name_?"

"_I have always been aware that Merlin tried to save you, just as he set me free_."

Freya sighed.

"_Kilgharrah. What are you doing_? _Don't tell me you're actually here_."

"_No, I have the ability to connect my mind with Merlin's over great distances_. _I sensed that he was on the brink of death_. _We are currently having this conversation inside his head_."

"_You don't know what happened to him_?"

"_I once told Merlin this- I do not have universal knowledge about his life_. _All I sensed was that he was in danger_."

"_He saved Arthur-_"

"_As he is meant to_."

"_But in doing so, he fell down some stairs with a Howler_. _Gaius said that part of his skull was crushed_. _He's been healing for the last few days_."

Freya then felt the Dragon's shock then anger. Kilgharrah then forced himself to calm down.

"_That's why the Sidhe are slightly angry_."

"_How are the Sidhe angry_? _They don't know about the staff, do they_?"

"_I'm surprised you can't hear it. Avalon is buzzing with rage_. _A soul escaped from the Vault_."

Freya listened in shocked silence. "_When was the last time a soul escaped_?"

"_About one hundred years ago_."

"_Wait, how is Merlin being on the brink of death the reason why the Sidhe are angry_?"

"_Because it appears that Merlin subconsciously released his father's soul_."

"_What_?"

"_He is very powerful and his subconscious must have accidentally delved into the Vault of Souls_."

"_I see what you mean by the Sidhe not being happy_. _It disrupts the balance of nature_... _But they can't blame him for doing something he wasn't even aware of and I think Balinor would want to be there for Merlin, even in spirit_. "

"_Just as you hope Merlin will be there for your child, though not through death_."

"_How-_"

"_Freya, it touched the whole world_. _The child will help shape everybody's future_. _She is a child of Fire and Water and she is very special_."

"_She_?"

"_Ah_." Freya felt Kilgharrah's embarrassment, a rare moment for a dragon.

"_It's a girl_? _How come you know before even me and Merlin do_?"

Freya realised how from the Dragon's silence.

"_Kilgharrah, is there a prophecy about her_?"

"_Yes_."

"_What was that you were saying about Fire and Water_?"

"_Everybody belongs to an element. For most people without magic, their element is Earth, though there have been some cases where they are be Air_. _For people with magic, it can vary, especially with the Druids. You are Water because you are the Lady of the Lake-_"

"_I'm not a lady_... _Wait, let me guess, another prophecy_." Freya laughed. "_Sorry, you were saying_."

"_Merlin has always been Fire, mainly because of his Dragonlord heritage_. _It is highly uncommon for two people of different elements to 'mate'_. _If a child from two different elements is born then they are blessed, not that yours wasn't special already without all of this_. _She is also part Earth because of Merlin's mother_."

"_She's Merlin's child; of course she'll be special_. _Can I ask what her destiny is_?"

"_All I can say is that it will only come after Merlin's_."

"_Can_ I_ just ask why you two are having this conversation in _my _head_?"

Freya turned around in shock to see Merlin staring at her, smiling.

"Merlin," Freya gasped, flying at him and embracing him. Merlin responded immediately.

"_You heard everything_?" Kilgharrah asked

"_Yes_. _Thanks for letting us know it's a girl_. _That narrows down possibilities for names_."

Kilgharrah snorted. "_I'm glad to see that you have recovered_."

"_We all know I've been through far worse_."

"_I'm sorry to be so quick about things but I must go. There are matters that I need to attend to_."

Merlin nodded to himself.

"_Make sure you're careful_. _The Earth brought us back once but I don't think it will do it again_."

"_You sound almost concerned_."

"_The last time you did something daft, you got yourself killed_. _You're meant to be the last dragon_."

Kilgharrah growled with amusement.

"_We shall see each other again, young warlock_." With that the Great Dragon ended the connection.

Merlin let go of Freya, allowing her to sit back down in her chair. Freya then called out to Gaius.

"Gaius! He's awake."

The physician grunted before he woke. Blinking, Gaius looked up at Merlin.

"Merlin," he sighed, abruptly hugging the warlock. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks."

"You had us very worried," Freya said.

"Sorry."

"Don't say sorry," Gaius said. "It's not exactly your fault that you were dragged down some stairs with a Howler."

"I take it Arthur broke the spell then?"

"Yes, and Sir Kay has been very generous, though he hasn't talked to any of us. Arthur says he's avoiding us until you've recovered."

"Speaking of Arthur," Gaius said, "I'll go and find him and Gwen."

Once Gaius had left, Freya turned back to Merlin.

"Did you see your father?" she asked.

Merlin stared at her.

"Kilgharrah told me that the Sidhe aren't very happy because you released his soul from The Vault of Souls."

"I didn't even know I was doing it. Nobody actually ever told me that there was some sort of 'Vault' you went to when you died."

"I know you didn't." Freya took Merlin's hand and the two shared a moment of silence. Merlin then kissed her gently.

"I was so worried," Freya muttered.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine and so is the baby, as far as I know, before you ask. You don't need to be worried about that."

"Of course I do. I heard everything, remember. All three of us have some sort of destiny. You can't tell me you want that hanging over our child for her entire life."

"Merlin, there's nothing wrong with destiny."

"What if her destiny is to live but ultimately die? Do you want that for her?"

"Merlin, calm down. I can understand why you're feeling slightly upset about it, but do you think a prophesised destiny is a bad thing? Everybody has some sort of destiny in life and it can be good and bad at different points. I thought my destiny was to kill forever but I found out differently because you helped me."

Merlin sighed.

"Sorry, I just... don't want her to go through what we have."

"She won't. I can be certain about that."

"Do you have any idea what Kilgharrah meant by Fire, Water, Earth and Air people?"

"No. You never know, it could have something to do with our destinies." Merlin chuckled.

The door suddenly burst open and the two stared around to see Arthur and Gwen standing in the doorway. They could hear somebody else, probably Gaius, hurrying towards them.

Arthur and Gwen simultaneously went over to the bed. Gwen hugged Merlin whilst Arthur glared at his servant.

"What have I done now?" Merlin said once Gwen had let him go.

"Let me think," Arthur said, sounding slightly angry, just as the physician walked through the door. "Right after I tell you no unnecessary heroics, you push me and Safir out of the way of a Howler and then you fall down some stairs with it and we find out later that part of your skull was crushed."

"He's been dying to say that for days, hasn't he?" Merlin asked Gwen. The maid nodded smiling.

"Just don't do anything like that again, Merlin," Arthur said, his voice more soft. "You've had us all worried."

"Even you?"

"Yes, even me and don't expect me to repeat that."

Merlin grinned at the prince, who smiled back.

"Are you alright though?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It feels as if nothing happened."

"Good. Right, you should be warned, Kay wants to see you, most likely to apologise for what happened."

"It's not his fault."

"That's what I've been telling him but he still wants to say sorry."

"Do you have any idea how Morgana managed to get that staff in here."

Arthur sighed and looked at each other them in turn.

"About a week ago, Morgana came to Tintagel and wanted to see her cousin."

"Is she mad?"

"That's what I thought until he explained more. Morgana told Kay that she had seen the error of her ways and wanted to seek forgiveness with those she had betrayed. Kay was ready to forgive her, mainly because she was family but also because she was very convincing. That was when she drew out the Sidhe staff and put the spell on everyone. They all forgot about that until after the spell was broken. Morgana took over their minds when we were fighting the Howlers, which, by the way, you were right about. They were meant to kill the knights so that it would only be me and you. I think they still don't know about you being the Leader of the Old Religion."

"It's lucky you brought Excalibur then," Freya muttered.

"I'm never going to complain about you taking it anywhere again," Merlin said. Everyone laughed.

* * *

Merlin followed Arthur into Tintagel's Council Chamber where the noise of talking suddenly died. Everybody was staring at the warlock as if he was a ghost. Merlin looked around at the knights and Kay's soldiers standing around, his face flushing with embarrassment.

At the other side of the hall, Sir Kay stood out of his seat and walked down into the crowd.

"Soldiers, clear the room."

Kay's men left the room and the knights followed, apart from Safir, who refused to leave.

Kay walked up to the warlock and held out his hand for Merlin to shake. Merlin, feeling slightly bewildered, took it.

"I'm glad to see that you've recovered Merlin. I must apologise for being taken in and enchanted by my cousin."

"It's fine, sir. You can't be blamed."

"Well at least we're all still in one piece. But you still have my apologies and if-"

"No, you don't have to do anything." Merlin had guessed what Kay had been about to say and he was certain that he didn't want the man to demonstrate his sincerity. He wasn't the one who had put a spell on everybody.

Kay then looked at Gwen. Merlin could deduce that they hadn't spoken since she, Freya and Gaius had arrived at Tintagel.

"Who is this charming young lady?"

Merlin and Arthur exchanged a look. Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"My name's Guinevere," Gwen said, confidently. Kay did a double-take.

"You're Gwen! Morgana's written to me about you, before she... turned."

And it continued in this fashion. Kay questioned Gwen until Arthur decided to save her from him. Kay then turned to Gaius, thanking him for coming on such short notice. The others listened politely.

At one point, Kay introduced himself to Freya and they seemed to get on rather well. Arthur could see the wariness in Merlin's face at this. At first he thought that Merlin was jealous, not that he could be blamed, but then Arthur realised that he was hoping that Kay had never heard about Freya from Morgana or Uther. But luckily, Kay seemed to know nothing about the Druid girl that had been the prize of a bounty hunter about half a year ago.

Sir Kay then announced that they must dine with him one last time before returning to Camelot. Everyone had taken a liking to the knight, even if he was a little bit eccentric at times, so the invitation was accepted immediately.

Later on that day, Merlin was surprised to discover that he wouldn't be serving Arthur for the evening. The prince had told him that Sir Kay had insisted that Merlin be an honoured guest, surprising the warlock. When Merlin had tried to argue, Arthur had shouted him down, saying that he should accept it, especially after he saved both his and Safir's lives and that he had been the one to find out what Morgana had planned for them. Arthur told him that none of them would be there if it wasn't for him. Merlin finally submitted.

At the feast, Merlin sat between Arthur and Freya at the top of the table. There was the loud buzz of conversation surrounding everybody as they all discussed different things. Sir Kay talked with Arthur for most of the evening but also tried to include the other four in their conversations. Merlin listened as Freya and Gwen talked about this, that and the other- pleased that they were indeed friends. Merlin also tried to talk to Gaius in an undertone about what had happened whilst he was unconscious but failed miserably because one, everybody else was quite noisy, and two, Merlin knew he had to be careful about discussing his father and magic because he was sure that the knights might hand him over to Uther if they knew.

When the feast had finished, everyone departed for bed as it was incredibly late. Merlin was walking with Arthur and Freya, whose rooms were next to his, when somebody called his name. Spinning around, he saw Safir run up.

"Can I have a word?" he asked, glancing at Arthur and Freya. The two took it as a hint that the knight wanted the conversation to be private.

"We'll see you later, Merlin," Freya said, following Arthur up the stairs.

Merlin grinned at them before turning to Safir.

"I just wanted to thank you, Merlin," the knight said. "You saved my life and Arthur's. If you hadn't done that then we both may be in the same state you were. You also helped us find the vessel."

"It doesn't matter," Merlin muttered, gazing at the floor.

"Doesn't matter? Merlin, without you we wouldn't have had a clue where to find that staff. Uther should be thanking you when we get back. I'd be surprised if he doesn't."

"I didn't want to see the pair of you get killed by the Howler."

"Merlin, no offence, but if that thing hadn't taken you with it when it fell down the stairs, how would you have been able to take it on?"

Merlin shrugged, glancing back up at the knight.

"Permit me to ask, but how did you know that the Howler and the man were in there?"

"I saw their shadows through the bars in the door. I just knew I had to get you out of the way because you were both right in front of the door."

Safir nodded. "Well, I'm grateful Merlin. I won't forget it in a hurry either. Just, in future, don't be so foolhardy and stupid."

"That's the sort of thing Arthur would say."

"In that case, he sometimes has a point. You don't have to get yourself killed."

"Trust me; I know what it's like to die. I've done it more than once."

Safir stared at him in blank surprise but he recovered himself. "That may be, but you've had everyone in a mess. Arthur would never admit it but he's been possibly more worried than most of us, apart from Gaius and those two women called Freya and Gwen. Between you and me, they were all as bad as each other. You also shocked a couple of us Knights as well. Bors said he'll never forget the way you fell down those stairs."

"I'm sorry," Merlin mumbled.

"Don't blame yourself. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty; I just feel that you ought to know what's what."

"I'm trying to learn not to blame myself. Thanks for letting me know."

Safir clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Merlin. Arthur wants to leave early so we can get back to Camelot by sometime the day after tomorrow."

Safir then walked off, leaving Merlin to climb the stairs until he reached his room. To his surprise, Arthur was waiting inside.

"He just wanted to thank me," Merlin explained, his brow knitting together.

"I know that; I want to talk to you about something different."

"You want me to try and sense Morgana again?"

"No, it's nothing to do with her either. Freya told me about her conversation with the Great Dragon and how you... broke your father out of the Vault of Souls or something like that."

Merlin heaved a sigh.

"Apparently I released him for a short amount of time and I wasn't even aware of it."

"Firstly, I want to know whether this is going to cause any problems for Camelot. Freya mentioned the Sidhe not being too happy about it. She said that she needs to talk to them but I don't think either of us wants to see her hurt by them."

"Sorry?" Merlin goggled at Arthur.

"Well...she's pregnant and you love her... she's also a friend."

Merlin was biting his lip to stop himself laughing.

"Shut up Merlin."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to laugh, I can read you like a book."

"And it still took you over two years to find out about my magic."

"Anyway, secondly, I want to know if you're alright, mentally."

Merlin smiled slightly.

"Arthur, I'm fine. I know you think I should be feeling upset about it all but I'm not. We talked and he explained quite a lot and he helped me to see that maybe not everything is my fault."

"So you aren't going to blame yourself anymore?"

"I can't promise that."

"What did he explain to you?"  
"He told me a bit more about my family. I already knew about most of it- his uncle being killed by Vortigern for one thing- and-"

"What? Vortigern killed your father's uncle as well as your mother?"

Merlin suddenly realised that he couldn't explain it to Arthur as Evander had died defeating Vortigern for Uther and Merlin knew that Arthur couldn't knew about what his father had done before the Great Purge..

"When my father was sixteen. His father had died before he was even born and after he was born and Ma'ab had the powers of the Leader of the Old Religion, their mother allowed her grief..."

Merlin didn't finish the sentence.

"God," Arthur muttered. "That's..."

Merlin had never before seen Arthur as speechless as this. It should have been funny but due to circumstances it wasn't.

"So that means that Vortigern killed the only family your father and Ma'ab had left."

Merlin gave him a severe stare and Arthur knew it to mean yes.

Arthur shook his head.

"Merlin..."

"Arthur, come on, it's late and Safir told me that you wanted to get going early tomorrow. We can't do that if you're still asleep until the afternoon."

Arthur made a huffing noise.

* * *

_I promise to update soon. Enjoy the nice weather, wherever you are._

_MerlinStar  
_


	12. Chapter 11

_I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while, so here is three more chapters._

* * *

**Chapter 11**

As the party returned to Camelot, they were greeted by Uther, who was relieved to see his son alive, Safir having told him about Morgana's enchantment. He welcomed back all of the knights and acknowledged Gaius. He even nodded at Merlin, Freya and Gwen, his gaze lingering longer on Merlin than the others.

Then they all had to settle back down into ordinary life at Camelot. The only noticeable change was that when Safir passed Merlin in the corridor, he was very friendly and always said hello, much to the surprise of many people. Neither Merlin nor Safir cared.

Freya went to visit the Sidhe about the staff. It transpired that Gaius' guess about a Sidhe being killed during their initiation was correct. The Sidhe king explained how one of his kind had gone missing barely three weeks ago. He was also unexpectedly apologetic about Morgana getting hold of the staff, something that had never really happened for him as Freya told the others.

She had also smoothed over the whole affair of Merlin briefly taking his father out of the Vault of Souls. The Sidhe's anger had simmered to a somewhat petty annoyance. It had been an entire century since such an event had happened and they had planned carefully for this not to take place again. They understood that Merlin had been unaware of what he was doing, and therefore would not take any action about it. A certain unease remained, though.

Life was once again pretty normal at Camelot for the present. That was until Arthur dropped something on Merlin that the warlock hadn't been expecting, three weeks after they had returned.

Merlin was polishing Arthur's boots in the prince's chambers when the door flew open and Arthur walked in, a serious look on his face.

"Oh no, I know that look," Merlin said, staring up at him. "What's happened now?"

"Nothing."

"What, no attacks by Vortigern or magical creatures sent by Morgana?"

"No, I just need to talk to you about something."

"What have I done now?"

"Who said you've done anything?"

"Your expression, maybe?"

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I just wanted to know what times you are free."

"Huh? Arthur, you know full well I never have any free time. I've completely forgotten the meaning of the words 'free-time' and 'holiday'."

"True... so then that means I'll have to give you some."

"What for?"

"Practice... As in, sword practice."

Merlin stared at him as if he thought the prince was mad.

"Arthur, how long have you known me? You know I'm hopeless with a sword or any other... weapon. I've never fancied beating someone up with a mace or, well, anything like that." Arthur's eyebrows rose comically at this.

"Well I'm giving you some training, then. You may have all that magic but it can't do you much good when you have a hundred men coming at you."

"You'd be surprised."

"Merlin, you need to learn how to defend yourself properly without exposing your magic. If there is a battle one day and my father finds out-"

"Yes, I know what'll happen."

"So could you just humour me? For a short while?"

Merlin watched Arthur's expression become even more severe. Sighing, he nodded once.

"Great," Arthur said, beaming. "Let's get going."

"What, now?"

"Well I know you. It will take forever before you get anywhere near as good as me or any of the knights."

Merlin frowned at the insult but silently followed Arthur out of the room and onto the training grounds. It was empty apart from Sir Safir and Sir Hoel.

"All right Merlin?" Safir called. Hoel looked slightly put out; Merlin knew that he was one of the people who found it odd that Safir was being friendly towards him.

"Fine thanks," Merlin replied.

Safir gave him a nod before returning back to practice with Hoel.

Arthur threw Merlin a sword, which he dropped clumsily.

"Come on, Merlin."

"You can't expect me to be good even before we start!"

His remark wasn't answered. Instead, Arthur lunged at him and Merlin only just got his sword in the way in time. Arthur broke away and began to slowly try and get through Merlin's defences. He gradually became faster but after a few seconds, Merlin's sword went spinning out of his hands.

"Your grip's too slack," Arthur pointed out, tapping Merlin's shoulder with the flat of his sword, "and your hands are in the wrong position. The left goes beneath the right to make it easier to manoeuvre."

Merlin nodded and swapped his hands around, tightening his grip. Arthur then began to advance on him again, starting off slowly but quickly speeding up. By now, the knights had stopped to watch the pair.

The duo stopped after a while, during which the sword had only left Merlin's hands three times. The prince then began to show the warlock some movements that Merlin thought incredibly complicated before Arthur gave him a step-by-step demonstration.

"You're getting a bit better," Arthur said, "you've still got a long way to go, but you'll get there eventually."

"Coming from you, that's the compliment of the century," Merlin joked. Arthur pushed him playfully by the shoulder, laughing.

There was a sudden rush of air. Arthur and Merlin stared at each other as Safir and Hoel cried out in horror. Arthur watched as Merlin staggered and fell onto his stomach, an arrow sticking out of his back.

"MERLIN!" the prince bellowed, running to his servant. The knights followed his example. Arthur turned to Hoel. "Fetch Gaius and warn the king. Go!" The knight ran towards the citadel.

"Merlin?" Arthur whispered to the warlock.

"Get it out," Merlin groaned, the pain causing him to spasm.

Arthur gripped the arrow and pulled. Merlin did all he could not to yell out.

"How do you feel?" Arthur asked, his eyes wide with horror and fear.

"This is definitely worse than when I was shot at the Stronghold," the warlock murmured, his teeth clenched. "But it should be fine."

"Sire," Safir said, warningly. Looking around, Merlin and Arthur saw a figure approaching, holding a loaded crossbow. There was no mistaking the long maroon hair as this person looked so much like her brother.

"Why am I not surprised?" Arthur said coldly as Lamya walked into the training area. The sorceress growled under her breath.

Merlin tried to push himself up but the magic hadn't quite set in yet.

"Are you here to avenge Sindri, Lamya?" he said from the ground.

"You guess too easily, Merlin," she said in a carrying whisper. "I'm here to murder you, your prince and the king. All of Camelot shall pay for Sindri's death."

"That took a while," Arthur muttered to Merlin.

"Do you know that your brother helped us?" Lamya froze at Merlin's words.

"_Helped _you? My brother would have never done such a thing."

"He saw the future Lamya. He saw Arthur as king and the peace in Camelot that was to come. For years, he was living in misery at what Vortigern forced him to do and in fear of what might happen to you. He hated himself for what you and he did to all of those people."

"You lie," Lamya spat.

"You know that we freed the children from those villages you overran. Who do you think told us where to look? Nobody would have been able to get through Morgana's enchantments if someone on the inside hadn't told them about it."

By now, Merlin had gained enough strength to sit up. Looking at the sorceress' face, he could see the hurt and betrayal there. He knew that, even though she wanted to think otherwise, she could see no other way for them to have found out the cathedral's location.

"Then if my brother did indeed betray me, I can do this for Vortigern's cause."

"Lamya, you don't have to," Merlin said, his voice soft. Both Arthur and Safir thought him mad. "You can walk away from Vortigern and be free. Do you really think you'd have a better life under his rule? You've seen what he does to people. You can't tell me that it's what your parents wanted."

"Shut up!" Lamya shrieked and threw a fireball at him. Merlin only just ducked in time.

"You cannot begin to think what it's like!" she hissed. "Having soldiers come after you, yet having nowhere else to go. You fear for your life and can never stay put in one place. That is the fate of man in this kingdom."

"It isn't, Lamya," Merlin said. "There's a future that your brother saw and it's different from what you think. Vortigern would only ensure that misery, and he has no legitimate claim to the throne either."

"But he knows someone who does," Lamya cackled, "or at least in a way."

The knight gave a yell of horror as Arthur collapsed and began to writhe.

"Not again," Merlin said, picking himself up and running at the sorceress. The two went tumbling to the floor and Lamya's concentration was broken from hurting Arthur.

"Run!" Merlin shouted at the prince and the knight, pinning Lamya to the floor. But he failed to notice her reaching for her quiver of arrows. With a great degree of accuracy, Lamya stabbed Merlin with an arrow, exactly where she had previously shot him. Merlin yelled with pain and fell to the side, heaving.

Looking up, he saw Lamya run at Arthur. The prince attempted to defend himself but the sorceress sent his sword flying through the air. She grabbed him and a wind began to whip up. Lamya and Arthur vanished.

"No!" Merlin shouted, holding a hand out to where Arthur had just disappeared. He instantly went limp and pressed his face into the grass.

Merlin then felt a pair of hands grab him and try to support him as he was forced to stand. Safir was helping him back towards the citadel.

"What was that about?" he hissed.

"That sorceress is the twin sister of the one that was in Uther's chambers a couple of weeks ago," Merlin replied, weakly. "She wanted revenge. Now she has Arthur. I should have done something..."

"Merlin, I was an idiot for standing around."

"The king isn't going to be happy at all," Merlin muttered.

"If he even attempts to flog you, I'll have something to say. You couldn't do anything. You ran at her when she attacked the prince, for crying out loud."

Merlin gave him an odd look but then whimpered from the agony.

"I'm just going to break part of the arrow off. It'll stop people noticing but I don't want to do anything that could make things worse," Safir said.

"Thanks."

Merlin braced himself as Safir broke off part of the arrow. The warlock hissed under his breath.

"Sorry," the knight apologized.

"It's fine, really."

* * *

Freya and Gwen watched as Gaius bandaged Merlin's back. They both knew that he would heal soon but Sir Safir was watching.

"You should be thankful that it wasn't too deep," Gaius explained. "Another inch or so and it would have pierced your heart."

"Thanks, Gaius," Merlin said, looking utterly miserable.

"Merlin, this isn't your fault," Freya reassured him.

"I should have stopped her, no matter what the consequences."

"You tried," Safir said. "I can't name anyone who's run at a sorcerer. You don't even have magic."

"But now Vortigern has him," Merlin muttered. "We're going to have to go after them."

"We don't even know where to look," Gwen pointed out. Merlin could see that her eyes were slightly red. "I mean, can any of you see the future?"

Merlin shook his head as did Freya and Gwen.

There was a knock at the door and Sir Hoel came in.

"Safir, the king wants to see you," he said.

"Thank you, Hoel," Safir said, nodding. He turned to the others. "I must go and explain to the king."

"He's nice," Freya said, as the knight followed the other.

"Sir Safir is a very decent man," Gaius explained. "He may be young but he values the needs of others before anything."

"The other knight was Sir Hoel," Merlin said. "He was in the joust last year."

The warlock sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"There's someone we could ask. They may know where Arthur's been taken," he mused.

"Who?" Gwen asked.

"When Ma'ab left she told me that if I was ever in great need, I should find her friend Isla."

"Isla?"

"I wasn't sure when she first told me, but I think she meant the faeries at the ruined castle. They're apparently very wise and powerful."

Merlin stood up, rocking slightly as the arrow wound continued to heal. Freya gave him a worried look. The warlock took her hand and stroked it, reassuringly.

He knew exactly what he had to do; the question was just what would happen afterwards.

* * *

Merlin and Freya rode through the forest, as fast as Merlin would allow. He didn't want something to happen to Freya that would hurt her and the baby.

The warlock had initially wanted to go to the ruined castle on his own but Freya had insisted that she come with him. She'd said that she didn't want to sit around when people she cared about were in danger. She also wasn't too keen on letting Merlin ride somewhere and get into trouble. Merlin had tried to argue with her but in time had given up. He had never liked disagreeing with Freya.

That night, they camped by a lake, and Merlin noticed that Freya kept smiling to herself.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"No, I was just remembering the last time I was here," she said. "Arthur had stopped to rest and I was disguised as that stranger. I told him that it wasn't a good idea to drink the lake water because it was full of rats. It still might be but it's starting to get colder now."

"Winter's coming. In a few months, all of this will be snow and ice."

Merlin piled a number of sticks he had piled together and willed them to light. The effort was trivial.

"Your magic's becoming a lot stronger, isn't it?" Freya said, in a quiet voice.

"Yes. I don't know how but I can feel it. Every second it's as if something's trickling slowly into my body, like a sandglass." Merlin stared at the fire in a vacant way. "It's as if it's waiting for the right moment to just flood."

Freya reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"But you're still strong enough to find Arthur. I know you are."

"I hope I am. He could be anywhere in the world. They could have taken him to Germania or Italia for all I know, or even beyond that."

"Merlin, stop worrying; we'll find him. I know we will. And we'll find Morgana or whoever's holding him captive."

"Sorry. I just don't want to imagine what'll happen if they've... hurt him."

"All we need to worry about, for the moment, is getting to the castle. Then we'll think about finding Arthur."

Freya then produced a couple of blankets from a saddlebag and passed one to Merlin. The two found a flat part of ground and lay next to each other; Merlin insisting that Freya use his bag as a makeshift pillow.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we had left Camelot?" Merlin muttered.

"Well, I know you would have betrayed your destiny and everybody would have missed you."

"That's not answering the question properly."

"We might have been happy... but there was also the risk that I might kill you."

"You wouldn't have. You didn't kill me in the tunnels and I know you wouldn't have if we'd left. We'd have found that place with the cows, the fields and flowers. The mountains and the lake."

"You did; you found it for me, even if there weren't any fields or cows. You laid me there and I was finally happy."

Merlin reached out and held her hand in his, stroking her palm tenderly with his thumb.

"I wish I could have saved you. You wouldn't be stuck in the lake."

"If you had saved me, I would still be a monster."

Merlin shook his head.

"Merlin, if we had run away and had this child in completely different circumstances, I don't think I'd want to worry about killing you or our daughter. Never mind that people may still try and chase me but what if I killed..." Freya closed her eyes and tried not to imagine what she had just described. "I just feel more assured knowing that at least we can still be together and without worrying about what could happen to us. I know that means we still have to worry about others, particularly Arthur, but I'd rather that than me killing you because I know that we can all pull through."

"Even if it means me leaving Camelot every other week to save someone?"

"Yes, even that."

"How can you stand that? I feel guilty every time I leave you alone when I'm off somewhere trying to keep Arthur alive or sorting out some problem Morgana's caused."  
"It's necessary. If you do manage all of that, which I know you will, then at the end of it we can finally be together properly under the reign of a king who is just and fair." She suddenly yawned, causing Merlin to chuckle.

"Try to sleep," he whispered, shuffling closer. Freya smiled and closed her eyes. The two were both deep asleep long before their fire went out.

* * *

The pair led their horses through the last trees of the forest on one of the Mountains of Engred and immediately saw the ruined castle where Ma'ab had resided for so long before she had passed away. Merlin remembered that this had once been his father's home too.

After tying the horses to a tree, the two walked up to the low hedge that surrounded the castle. Merlin had to use his magic to make a clear path through because of how wild it had become over the years.

"I'm not sure where the tree is but I think it's on the other side of the castle. I was unconscious for most of the time I was here and I only remember that room."

They soon reached the large wooden fence and went through the hole there.

"How on earth did Arthur get past all of this twice?" he exclaimed, staring around at the mounds of rubble.

Merlin suddenly felt a tingle of magic and looked around, trying to spot what had caused the disturbance. A group of lights suddenly shot out from behind the rubble and flew at the warlock and Freya. Freya recoiled slightly but then stared at the lights in wonder.

"Are these..."

Merlin smiled at her before stepping forwards.

"Isla?"

One of the lights suddenly began to shimmer and expand. Freya and Merlin stood back as the light began to take the shape of a woman. With her green eyes and brown hair, she looked human apart from the two wings protruding from her back.

"Hello again Merlin," she said calmly. "It's been a while."

"I didn't know that faeries could do that."

"Not all can. Some can possess other beings, mainly humans, and some can appear human in one form or another."

Isla looked away from Merlin.

"And this must be Freya. It's nice to meet you, finally. Ma'ab mentioned you and we... saw the whole thing with you and Merlin in her mirror." Her pale cheeks flushed.

"Anyway, I know you are here to ask about the whereabouts of Arthur and his captors."

"Do you already know?" Merlin asked.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't. But we do know something that does."

"Something?"

"In fact, a lot of things."

"She's as bad as Ma'ab and the dragon at using riddles," Merlin muttered to Freya. Both Freya and Isla laughed.

"She rubbed off on us after all the years we knew her."

Isla motioned for the two to follow and they walked back out of the castle and around towards the cliff, pursued by the other faeries.

"You two are lucky," Isla explained. "Nobody else has seen this cave apart from Ma'ab and Balinor, for people only know it exists but not where it is hidden. Before Ma'ab and her brother came here, our purpose was to guard the entrance and make sure no one entered."

When they reached the cliff, Isla appeared to walk down the side on just air but when they looked, Freya and Merlin saw that there was a narrow flight of stairs leading down the side of the cliff into the valley bellow.

"This is the only way that it can be accessed," Isla continued, not turning around to face them. Merlin and Freya climbed down the stairs with the utmost care because one wrong move would mean certain death. As they descended, Merlin could feel a very powerful feeling growing inside him, indicating that whatever Isla was about to show them had incredible magic.

After what felt like almost an entire day, they reached the bottom, only to find that the other faeries were already there. Next to them was a small cave mouth that led into complete darkness.

"What's in there?" Freya asked, trying to peer into the blackness.

Isla gave them a grimace.

"Welcome to the Crystal Cave."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Freya raised her eyebrows at her in surprise.

"The Crystal Cave?" she said, disbelievingly. "Nobody ever knew of its location apart from that... sorcerer from hundreds of years ago."

"What is the Crystal Cave?" Merlin asked, gazing from Freya to Isla.

"It's the past and the future," Isla explained and led them inside.

Both Merlin and Freya's mouths dropped at what they saw inside. The cave was practically covered with some sort of pink and purple stones, glowing against the dark sides and walkways of the cave.

"The sorcerer's name was Esclados," Isla clarified. "He was the guardian of this place many, many years ago. He was killed by a knight who had fallen in love with his wife but beforehand he sought out my family and asked them to guard the Crystal Cave and allow no one unworthy to enter. Now it is once again time for the crystals to be used. Ma'ab used these to see things whilst she was learning and now that legacy passes to you. Look, Merlin, and allow the crystals to show you what you need to know."

Looking briefly at Freya, Merlin walked forwards and stared into the stones. Almost immediately, images appeared before his eyes. A Wilddeoren lunging at him, at which he jumped back but didn't turn away; Excalibur sticking out of a stone next to looming shadows; himself sitting in some dark cave and staring down at something in horror; a large boulder lying in some sort of clearing next to an ancient oak tree; Arthur sitting in his room, trying not to cry; a flat rock face standing tall in what appeared to be a completely alien world.

Merlin had to look away for a few seconds as seeing Arthur like that was disturbing- not like the prince at all. Looking back, he saw Morgana stand in front of Arthur, who was in a cage. Next to him was the great oak tree, clearly the tallest in the area.

"Where am I?" Arthur shouted, banging against the bars.

"If you must know, we're in the forest of Brocéliande," Morgana said, her mouth lifting into a wicked sneer. The rest of her words were drowned out as an image of Kilgharrah suddenly appeared. He roared at the snowy countryside around him and shot fire out of his mouth. A frozen river stretched out in front of him. A great battle was raging and everyone near the dragon scattered.

Merlin closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. He felt his knees hit the floor.

"Merlin!" he heard Freya shriek. The next second, he felt a hand on either of his shoulders. Lowering his hands, he opened his eyes again.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine...I just saw...he's in someplace called Brocéliande..."

Isla was standing right next to them, her lips pursed.

"What was that?" Merlin said, breathing heavily.

"It was the future. Sometimes it can shock us or bring us joy, but it mainly does the former."

Merlin suddenly felt the crystals calling to him, clawing away at his mind meaning that it was hard to resist. He looked again, against his better judgement.

A tiny baby was staring at him with her big brown eyes and a small tuft of raven hair sticking up. The warlock felt a thrill of happiness as the child waved her arms about and giggled.

"Merlin, you're crying," Freya's voice said as if from a long way away.

Turning away from the crystals, Merlin forced himself to his feet and left the cave, not believing what he had just seen.

"Merlin, what did you see?" Freya asked as she too left the cave.

Merlin stared at the rocks surrounding them before looking back at her.

"I saw our daughter," he muttered, hurriedly wiping away a tear that was sliding down his face.

Freya gawped at him in astonishment.

"She... she was so beautiful... she had your eyes...and she was laughing."

Freya's hands subconsciously found her stomach.

"If she's laughing, that could mean that the future is a happy one," Freya said.

"Yeah." Merlin sighed. "I wish you could have seen her."

"I will one day." She clutched his hand confidently and reassuringly.

"Do you have any idea where Brocéliande is?" he asked. Freya shook her head.

"Isla might know," she suggested.

"I'm sorry but I don't."

Both turned to see Isla standing in the mouth of the cave, the rest of her family floating next to her.

"As far as I know there is nowhere in any of the kingdoms that goes by that name."

"Which means that it could be anywhere else in the world," Merlin said.

Freya looked at him.

"Geoffrey of Monmouth," she said.

"That's Gaius' friend."

"Yes, but is it possible that he knows where Brocéliande is? Gaius may know about it as well."

There was silence for a few moments as Merlin stared into space at her words.

"Freya, you are brilliant."

"I take it you're leaving now?" Isla said.

"I'm sorry but we have to," Merlin replied.

"I know you do. The prince is in danger and the future of Camelot needs to be saved."

"Thanks Isla. We'll never forget this."

"I don't think you could. Merlin, I must warn you, don't go looking for what you saw for the visions will all come to you. Many who have tried and attempted to alter fate have been driven mad by the consequences."

Merlin nodded.

"Thank you," he repeated. He and Freya then turned and made their way back up the cliff. Isla watched them.

"Be careful," she whispered, "for Ma'ab spoke of changes that will affect the whole kingdom. The young Pendragon will need both of your counselling in times to come, just as you will need each other's."

* * *

Arthur kicked out at the cage, seething with anger. He could not believe that he had allowed himself to be kidnapped so easily. Alright, he had been shocked to see Lamya stab Merlin with an arrow but that didn't mean he had had to lower his guard. It should have meant that his guard should have increased. That was what he had trained for- the unprepared.

Thinking of Merlin, Arthur hoped he was alright. The last thing he had seen, before he had woken up in this cage in the middle of some forest somewhere, was Merlin reaching out for him, clearly weak from the arrow wound. He prayed that the arrow hadn't pierced his heart or something vital.

The prince shoved at the bars again.

"There's no need to do that, Arthur," Morgana's voice said in a cold manner. "You cannot escape."

"Where am I?" Arthur shouted, ignoring her previous comment and lashing out at the bars again.

Morgana appeared suddenly out of the shadows of the trees.

"If you must know, we're in the forest of Brocéliande." Her mouth turned upwards into a sneer. "We have you, so now all we need is your warlock."

"Merlin's not stupid. He'll know it's a trap."

"And this comes from the man who was constantly calling him an idiot. Anyway, we both know Merlin; he has this self-sacrificing deficiency. He'll come because he wants to save you and your precious Camelot."

"What are you doing to do to him?"

"I'm going to make him pay for hurting my sister." Morgana then walked over to something and that was when Arthur saw some sort of cauldron and a cocoon of what looked like diamond. He could make out a humanoid shape encased by the cocoon.

"Morgause is in there?" Arthur asked in astonishment.

"Merlin's magic did more damage than possibly any of us thought. My sister is currently only just holding onto life with my help. The only way she can be healed is with the Power of Life and Death."

Arthur felt a slight chill pass through him. He remembered from what Ma'ab had shown him what had happened when Merlin had used the Power of Life and Death. It had nearly resulted with the warlock, Gaius and Hunith dying.

"All of the High Priestesses are dead and Morgause isn't far from it," Arthur said. "How can you use the Powers if there is nobody here to perform them? You'd need to sacrifice a life if you wanted to bring Morgause back."

"That is why I picked out a couple of people that I thought would be useless for anything else."

Arthur followed Morgana's finger with her gaze as she pointed at two people tied to a tree. They were blindfolded and were shouting out in an unfamiliar language.

"And we also have another bargaining tool for Merlin," Morgana cackled, now pointing behind Arthur.

Slowly turning around, Arthur was horrified to find himself practically face to face with a bound Kilgharrah, who was chained to the ground. A long chain stretched around his muzzle, preventing him from speaking. It appeared that he couldn't move either.

"Why have you captured him?" Arthur spat.

"I caught him a few weeks ago when he was trying to track me down. It took a great number of spells to subdue him. He can be useful because Merlin is a Dragonlord and this dragon appears to have a close bond with him."

"Let him go, Morgana. He's the last, so you just can't kill him."

"And why is that I wonder? Every other dragon was killed during the Great Purge."

"Let him go, Morgana."

"I don't think so."

With that Morgana span around and went over to Morgause's cocoon.

"_Arthur_."

Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin but then realised that Kilgharrah was connecting with his mind.

"_I didn't think you could talk to me like this_."

"_It isn't without difficulty_."

"_Are you alright_?"

"_I am better than I was when I was first brought here. It appears that in the short time she was absent; the witch has learnt many tricks_."

"_You don't say_."

"_I have been unable to contact Merlin_. _Has he fully recovered from what happened at Tintagel_?"

"_Yes, but when I was captured, Lamya stabbed him in the back with an arrow_."

"_I would have felt it if he had died_. _He's still alive_."

"_Oh thank God_. _But that means he'll be coming after us_. _Where exactly are we_?"

"_We're in the forest of Brocéliande in Gaul_."

"_Gaul?_ _You can't be serious?_"

"_Better here than somewhere in the East like Persia_."

"_How did Morgana catch you_?"

"_I was a bit careless_. _She caught me tracking her and she managed to capture me and bound me here with many spells_. _These chains can only be broken by powerful magic, which only Merlin or the witches could use_."

"_And who are those people over there_?"

"_They are innocents that Morgana wants to use for her plans_. _She can't use us because she wants us to watch_."

"_What is she planning to do_?"

"_We're about to find out_."

They pair watched as Morgana lifted her head towards the sky and began to say words that only Kilgharrah could understand. Arthur felt the hairs on the back of his head stand up as she continued to chant.

There was a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning struck the ground. Everybody looked on as a figure appeared out of the light.

"Oh God," Arthur muttered.

* * *

Geoffrey looked up as Freya and Merlin rushed into the library.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, putting down his quill.

"Sorry," Merlin panted. "We need to ask you about the forest of Brocéliande."

At that Geoffrey made an urgent shushing noise.

"Quiet," he whispered.

"What's wrong with saying-" Freya was interrupted by the old man as he made the hushing noise again.

"Uther forbade any mention of that place during the Great Purge. Do you want someone to hear you talk openly about it?"

"Where is it?" Merlin asked. "This is urgent. You know that Prince Arthur has been kidnapped. If we don't find out where Br... that place is then he may die."

Geoffrey heaved a sigh.

"It is a place of powerful magic," he murmured. "Many speak of the sorcerer Esclados protecting the Fountain of Brocéliande as well as the Crystal Cave. The whereabouts of both are not known to anybody on this earth as they are guarded well by magic that Esclados used before his death."

Freya and Merlin had to stop themselves looking at each other. The old man was to have no idea that the location of the Crystal Cave was known to them and the faerie family.

"However, Brocéliande itself is a forest in the north of Gaul. Barely anyone here knows about it."

"Gaul?" Freya asked. "This forest is in Gaul?"

"Yes, it is, but many avoid it as many say that even the trees have magic. It is a dark place and we should be thankful that no such place exists in this kingdom. To go in there would be suicide. Some say that Escalados' soul still haunts it."

Merlin rubbed his eyes.

"Do any records mention some sort of really tall oak tree?"

"As a matter of fact they do. Stories speak of the Sorcerer's Tree in the middle of Brocéliande, which is said to be one of the many pinnacles of magic. Is there some significance?"

Freya raised her eyebrows at Merlin.

"There is, but we can't explain now," Merlin said. "Thank you."

The two left the library, Geoffrey staring after them. In the corridor, they began to talk in an undertone.

"We're going to have to tell Uther," Merlin whispered. "This is something he has to know."

"How are we going to tell him without telling him we found out because we went to the Crystal Cave?"

Merlin bit his lip.

"I'll ask Gaius if he could tell the king. Uther listens to him; or at least he does most of the time."

"I think Uther would welcome any news about Arthur."

The two soon reached Gaius' chambers and went in to find the physician standing at the window. He turned when the two came in.

"Did you find where it is?" he asked.

"It's in Gaul," Freya said. "You didn't say that Uther had forbidden anybody to mention it. I don't mean to be rude, but how come you didn't know where it was?"

"I had no idea and then Uther banned the very mention of it. My knowledge is mainly limited to things that concern this kingdom."

"It doesn't matter, we know where Arthur is now," Merlin said, "but we need you to do something Gaius."

"You need me to tell Uther."

"Is it that obvious?"

"I have had to do this sort of thing before."

"Thank you, Gaius."

* * *

"Sire, might I have a word?" Gaius asked as he walked into the Council Chambers.

He saw Uther standing at a small table, discussing tactics to find Arthur. The king looked up.

"Can't it wait, Gaius?"

"I'm afraid not, Sire. It may have some significance with your plans."

"Speak."

Everybody there was now looking at Gaius. The old man saw Freya and Merlin enter out of the corner of his eye.

"An old friend of mine came back to Camelot after travelling the other day. He'd just been travelling in Gaul and he saw a ship with Vortigern's crest on the main sail. He watched and saw Morgana disembark with Arthur. He followed them, before running for his life, into the forest of Brocéliande."

Uther's eyes widened.

"Was he certain?" the king asked, trying to retain a straight face again.

"He saw them camp, Sire, and was adamant that it looked as if they would not be moving."

"Who is this friend?"

"He begged me that his name would remain anonymous, Sire. He fears repercussions and he left this morning."

Uther nodded.

"Thank you Gaius."

The physician bowed and went over to Merlin and Freya, whilst Uther turned to Sir Geraint.

"Assemble a small group of knights. We ride tomorrow morning." He turned back to Gaius. "Did this man give you directions?"

"He gave me a sketchy idea of its whereabouts, Sire, but I'm afraid it is not possible for me to accompany you."

"I though not. Your ward will have to show us instead."

Everybody stared at Merlin.

* * *

Gwen opened the door to find Merlin standing there.

"How did it go?"Gwen asked.

"Me and Freya went to the faeries and we found out where Arthur is."

"Oh thank God."

Gwen motioned for Merlin to enter and she closed the door behind him.

"Morgana has him in Gaul."

"You're not serious?"

"I wish I wasn't. I'm leaving tomorrow with Uther and some of the knights."

"Merlin, you need to be careful. If you get into trouble and have to use your magic then Uther could find out about you."

"I know, but it'll be fine. And I promise that we'll find Arthur."

Gwen hung her head.

"I just pray that she hasn't done anything to him."

"I think she needs him for something, so she won't have hurt him, yet."

A tear rolled down Gwen's cheek. Merlin placed his hands on either of her shoulders.

"You still have feelings for him, don't you," he whispered. Unable to speak, the maid nodded.

"Gwen, I swear to you that if she hurts him, I'll-"

"Oh no you don't." Gwen broke out of the hug. "I don't want you making threats when we both know that that's not you. You just make sure that you both get out of there alive. You told me that you and Arthur have a destiny to restore peace to this kingdom. I know that you'll both survive because I believe in it. Arthur's going to be a great king and you'll be the most powerful warlock in history. If that's not reason enough for you to survive then I don't know what is."

Merlin chuckled.

"You know, you really do have a way with words when you want to."

"Merlin, just please be careful."

"I will. Could you please look after Freya and Gaius for me? You all need to look after each other just in case Morgana or Vortigern try something whilst I'm away."

"Definitely."

Merlin grinned and nodded before turning and leaving. He turned around as Gwen spoke again.

"Bring him home, Merlin. Just please bring him back."

* * *

Merlin was sat on the floor as Freya lay on the bed. The sun had set a long time ago and the two were in darkness, comforted by each other's company.

"I don't see why I can't come along," Freya muttered.

"You're pregnant and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. If Morgana got hold of you she could hurt you in ways I don't want to imagine."

Merlin reached up and entwined his hand with hers.

"Alright, but just please don't do anything stupid. I don't want to hear that Morgana's killed you or Uther found out about your magic and did the job himself. Gwen may have already said something like this but I just want to let you know that I'd never forgive myself if you died."

Before she could carry on, Merlin silenced her with a kiss.

"It would take more than Morgana and Uther to stop me coming back."

Freya sighed, smiling. "I know." She leant forwards again.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Merlin walked down the stone stairs to find the small party of knights preparing to leave. Uther had not turned up yet. The warlock also noticed that the knights were all the ones that had gone with him and Arthur to Tintagel, apart from Sir Geraint, who was staying behind to take charge of Camelot whilst Uther was away. He was surprised that there weren't many more.

He then spotted Sir Safir near the back, waving at him and he went over to, smiling.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" Safir said, clapping him on the back. "You've been missing for a few days."

"I had to go to see someone," Merlin lied, feeling guilty as he did so. He liked Safir but the man was a knight, who might have him killed or tell Uther if he knew what Merlin really was. He knew that Safir had a good heart but he couldn't take that risk.

"Ah. I thought you were going somewhere with your friend to get some privacy or something because she went to."

Merlin blushed with embarrassment. Safir laughed.

"I don't blame you- she's a very good looking girl."

At that moment, Uther appeared and walked down to his horse so Safir had to be quiet. The king nodded at them. The knights and Merlin then mounted as he did and rode out of Camelot.

From the window in Merlin's room, Freya watched them leave, a weight in her heart.

The men had barely reached the other side of the forest when they were interrupted by three men on horses.

"Sir Kay?" Uther said, sounding surprised.

"Sire," Kay said, bowing his head. "We received word of Arthur's capture the day before yesterday. I beg you to let me accompany you to help rescue him. I feel I owe him a great service for breaking Morgana's enchantment. If it is possible, I would prefer for my men to stay at Camelot."

The king considered the proposition for a few seconds before he accepted.

"Thank you, Sire," Kay said. Looking at his men, they took the hint to head towards Camelot.

Sir Kay then joined the party at the back with Merlin and Safir.

"How are you, Merlin?"

"I'm fine thanks. There haven't been any side effects or anything."

"Good, good."

There was no more time for talking as the group carried on at top speed and galloped through the countryside, soon passing into Mercia. Merlin sincerely hoped that they would go nowhere near Vortigern's Stronghold.

It was only when night had fallen that Merlin realised how far they had gone. The group had arrived at Stonehenge. The warlock shivered as he remembered the last time he had been here. It wasn't one of his fondest memories. But on the other hand this is where he had received his heritage. He could sense the magic that encircled the place and he couldn't help but grin at how good it was. He was even more surprised to hear that they would be resting there for the night. Uther obviously had no idea that Stonehenge was connected to magic; otherwise he would have never sanctioned them staying there.

When they had all eaten and fallen asleep under the moon, the wind that had surrounded them died down, letting the flames of the fire jump high, sending an orange glow over part of the ground.

"_Merlin_."

The warlock started awake as whatever it was called his name.

"_Merlin_."

Merlin stood up and walked closer towards the stones.

"Who are you?" he asked, quietly.

"_We are the spirits of your predecessors_. _We are the past Kings and Queens of the Old Religion, or at least part of them, for our souls are in the Vault of Souls_."

"What do you want?"

"_We want to help you, Merlin_. _That is what family does_. _You have brought Excalibur, have you not_?"

"Yes."

"_You cannot take it to Gaul, Merlin_. _To do so would deliver it into the hands of Morgana and her allies_. _Arthur is the only one who is meant to wield it but to take it to Gaul would put it at risk of serving evil_."

"What would you have me do?"

"_Leave it here with us_. _You must embed it in one of these stones so that nobody else can take it_. _When you have saved Arthur, you must come back here and let him draw Excalibur from where you place it_."

"How can I trust you?"

"_Merlin, you must trust us_."

Merlin froze as he recognised Ma'ab's voice speaking on its own.

"Ma'ab?"

"_Merlin, we are your family and we are offering you this advice_. _Please do not ignore it otherwise it could have dire consequences for everybody_. _This is no trick; you have to believe us_."

Merlin stood there for a few seconds before walking over to where his horse was tied. Reaching into one of his saddlebags, he pulled out Excalibur. The warlock had brought it for Arthur when they rescued him. He took it over to the rocks.

"What if we need this?" he asked the Voices.

"_By the time you need Excalibur, it will have already returned to Arthur_."

Heaving a sigh, Merlin paced further into Stonehenge, finding a suitable rock for it. As if fate had decided long ago that Merlin would place the sword there, there was a perfectly sized boulder in the middle of the rock formation, attached to a huge boulder next to it. Standing before it, Merlin began to recite a spell that sprung to his mouth without him thinking or knowing it. He then drove Excalibur deep into the rock, feeling it harden around the sword.

"Who are you?" a deep voice rumbled. Merlin stared in shock as the larger rock moved and an eye appeared. The warlock panted in shock.

"I'm... Mer... Merlin," he stuttered, trying to control his shock. "Many people know me as Emrys."

"Emrys? That is a name I have heard many times before. Many who have come here have spoken of you, praying for a miracle to help them against Uther's Great Purge. Now it seems I have the pleasure of meeting you. Might I ask what you have just stuck in my hand?"

"_Excalibur_." Merlin stared around as the voices of his predecessors spoke the name.

"That is not name I have heard before."

"Do you have one?" Merlin asked.

"I am the Rock of Ages. I have lived since the Dawn of Time, for countless centuries. Stonehenge was built on me and nobody knew I was here. Then again, nobody has ever been able to awake me like you have. I have only ever seen the world through dreams. Now would you please tell me why you have stuck _Excalibur_ in my hand?"

"I needed to put it somewhere to keep it safe. I am travelling to Gaul to save Arthur, the Once and Future King. I cannot take it with me because the Voices have just explained that if I do, evil may take it."

"I know the Voices. Their knowledge is undeniable; therefore I will allow Excalibur to remain in my hand until Prince Arthur comes for it. I am the Rock of Ages and nothing can break my hold. I cannot be blown apart as I can never die."

"Thank you. But please make sure that nobody else takes it."

The Rock chuckled.

"Heed my next words, Emrys. Brocéliande may be a treacherous place but there are many other dangers that you can face before you even arrive at Gaul. You would do well to take the least known route. But I cannot change the mind of your King, can I."

"How-"

"I can sense each and every one of the people here. That is how I know you have been here before, though I did not know your name. Ma'ab touched me in my dreams a number of times and she visited me often, having first met me when her mother passed on the title of the Leader of the Old Religion, the title that you now possess. I have met every Leader of the Old Ways and I'm glad to see that that tradition has not died out."

"Did you ever meet my father?"

"Only once, when he was a baby. He was witness to the ritual and I touched him for a few moments. He was far too young to understand what was going on."

"Merlin," somebody called. The warlock stared around in horror.

"I will see you again soon, Emrys."

Merlin turned back to see the Rock of Ages' eye close and his hand tighten around Excalibur.

The warlock then walked back towards where the others were camping. He saw Safir and Kay rush towards him.

"Where did you run off to?" Safir said.

"I just went to have a look around."

"Did the thunder wake you?"

"I guess. Is something wrong?"

"Well the thunder woke all of us up," Kay said, "and then I look around and saw that you're missing. Safir noticed to so we decided to look for you. Uther thinks we should move on because a storm may be coming."

Safir didn't say anything but stared behind Merlin.

"How did that get there?" he muttered.

Turning around, Merlin felt a lurch of panic. Safir had spotted Excalibur sticking out of the hand of the Rock of Ages. Kay walked up to it.

"Did you put this here, Merlin?" he asked.

"I can't run metal through rock."

Kay bit his lip and then reached out for Excalibur and tried to pull it out. Merlin's hands clenched but he needn't have worried as the sword refused to budge.

"Let's have a go," Safir said. He too tried to pull Excalibur from its temporary home but failed. Merlin couldn't help but grin.

"What's going on?" somebody else asked. The three turned to see that the other Knights and Uther were right behind them. It was Uther who had spoken

"We found this, Sire," Kay explained. "Or rather, Merlin found it."

Uther raised his eyes at the warlock. Merlin avoided eye contact with him.

"How did it get there?" Uther asked him.

"I'm sorry, Sire, but I don't know. I just came across it a few minutes ago."

Meanwhile, Sir Hoel and Sir Bors had gone over to the sword and had both tried to take it out of the stone. Both had failed abysmally. Merlin was trying his best not to laugh. Sir Aglovale and Sir Tor also tried and were followed by Dagonet and Ywain. Nobody could pull Excalibur out.

"Leave it," Uther commanded, promptly turning away. Merlin sighed. He had only just remembered that Uther had once held Excalibur and the warlock thought that he might recognise it.

The knights followed the king back to the horses and saddled up, leaving as quickly as they could. It was still quite dark, though Merlin knew that dawn was approaching.

That was when he heard the Voices whisper to him one last time.

"_Good luck Merlin_."

* * *

Merlin shivered as everybody crouched inside a cave. They had travelled for about half of the day before it had started to rain, making it impossible for them to carry on. It was becoming incredibly cold; a sure sign that winter was definitely on its way. Their breath rose in torrents of steam before them.

"It's going to take forever to get to Gaul," Safir murmured to the warlock. Merlin nodded, stiffly.

"At least it isn't snowing otherwise we'd never get there," Merlin replied.

"Don't speak too soon. The last thing we need is for it to snow."

Merlin rubbed his hands together. Looking up, he saw Ywain and Kay trying to get a fire started. All of the other Knights were sitting by the wall, like Merlin and Safir were, trying to keep warm until the others got the fire going.

"Do you think we should have all come?" Merlin said.

"What do you mean?"

"You could all die."

"So could you. Please don't tell me you actually thought of going by yourself."

"The thought crossed my mind, yes."

"Morgana would have skinned you alive."

"She didn't last time."

"So you think you can just rely on luck?"

"Something like that."

"You really are a mystery sometimes, Merlin. I mean, you run at a sorceress who could kill you in a heartbeat and you talk about going by yourself to save Arthur when you might not come back."

"I occasionally confuse people."

Safir snorted.

"Well, we're all going to find him, as long as you don't forget whereabouts Morgana has him."

"How could I forget with an image of it practically burnt into my mind?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

There was a sudden unearthly noise coming from the back of the cave. They all stared around but could see nothing because of the darkness. Sir Ywain started the fire and grabbed a stick, brandishing it like a torch. He cautiously walked towards the back of the cave only to find that it was a tunnel that was who knew how long.

"What was that?" Aglovale muttered.

Merlin swore that the noise had sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it.

Uther silently motioned for them all to follow. Each taking a torch from the fire, the group walked down the tunnel, looking out for the source of the noise. They soon came up to a junction, leading in about four different directions.

"We'll split up," the king muttered. "Hoel and Ywain, take the first; Kay, Dagonet and Bors, the second; Aglovale and Tor, the third. Myself and Safir will take the fourth along with the boy."

Merlin didn't realise that meant him until they all started to set off again. As they walked, the warlock frowned with concentration as he tried to remember where he had heard that noise before.

"What's the matter?" Safir asked him in a hushed tone.

"I swear I've heard that sound before but I can't place it."

"You might want to try and remember before we run into something like another Howler." Safir chuckled nervously as they stared around.

"Sire, what if it was just some sort of rock slide or the wind?" Safir muttered.

"We cannot take that chance. We need to make sure that this place is secure before we rest here until the rain stops."

"Of course, Sire."

The three suddenly noticed that the ceiling of the tunnel was becoming higher and soon they had entered another cave. Merlin noticed that there were a number of bushes there, lining the cave. He recognised them as Gaia berries. He froze.

"Oh God," he muttered but his voice echoed off of the walls. Uther and Safir stared at him.

"Merlin?"

"We need to get out of here. That was the cry of a Wilddeoren."

Safir swore and Uther stared around, his sword at the ready.

"Head back to the entrance, now," Uther commanded. The three walked as fast as they could towards the tunnel.

That was when disaster struck. Safir reached the tunnel without difficulty but then there was a cracking noise and the ground gave way beneath Merlin and Uther's feet. The two felt themselves fall into some sort of vines. But they gave way and the two fell onto solid ground. Merlin groaned as his head hit a small rock.

"Merlin? Sire?" Safir shouted from above.

"Safir," Uther called up. "Find the other knights. Get some rope from the bags and get us out of here. You'll only need at least three men so have the others ready to leave as soon as possible."

"Are you alright down there?"

"We'll live but you need to get that rope."

Safir figure above them nodded before disappearing.

Uther looked at Merlin, who was picking himself up off the floor, examining his head with his hand. There was no damage apart from a bit of dizziness.

"Are you alright, Sire?" Merlin asked.

"As far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with me."

That was when they heard a screeching noise right next to them. Spinning around, the two saw a Wilddeoren advance on them, teeth protruding from its ratty mouth.

Uther grabbed his sword off of the floor and faced the beast. However, the beast seemed totally uninterested in him. Instead, it headed towards Merlin, who grabbed at his sword, wishing that Arthur had had a better chance to teach him more before something like this could happen. The warlock backed away until he felt himself press against a wall. He clutched his sword and prepared himself for the onslaught. The Wilddeoren was practically nose to nose with him.

Before Merlin had a chance to act, the Wilddeoren squealed in pain and turned around. Uther had managed to deal it a small injury. That was when the creature jumped onto the king and the man yelled as it began to maul him.

"NO!" Merlin shouted. Realising that he may be a dead man after this, the warlock raised his hand and cried a spell.

"Astrice!"

The Wilddeoren only appeared to be stung by his spell so Merlin gripped his sword more tightly.

"Braegdan anweald gefelluec!" Merlin cried, plunging his sword into the beast's side. The Wilddeoren gave a pitiful cry before falling onto its back and moved no more.

Merlin looked at the king, who was propped against a rock, staring at the warlock with a mixture of shock and outrage.

"You're... sorcerer..." he gasped. Merlin could tell that he was bleeding heavily and the wounds would be fatal if he didn't treat it immediately.

The boy went over to the king and knelt next to him. Uther made no attempt to move away, possibly because he was in too much pain.

"Let me help."

"I... will... not have... magic... heal me..."

"Sire, please."

"No... How... dare... you... use magic... and try... to... use it... on me."

"I'm sorry, Sire. But you need me to help; and I can't help using magic."

Uther snorted with derision.

"I honestly can't. This sort of thing has been in my family for... ages."

"What... are you... then?"

"I'm the last Dragonlord, the Leader of the Old Religion and the protector of the Once and Future King."

* * *

_Oops! Merlin is in trouble now!_

_I should be able to update soon, so please keep an eye out. I hope this has left you all on tenterhooks._

_MerlinStar  
_


	15. Chapter 14

_Hello again. Thank you for all of the reviews you are giving this story- they are really helpful._**  
**

_Also a massive shout out to my friend, Hannah (previous MerlinStar), who has been a fantastic beta for this and 'The Warlock's Calling'.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Uther stared at him in surprise.

"Dragonlord? How... is that... possible?"

"Balinor was my father, Sire. My mother took him in after he escaped from Camelot. He had to leave when you sent your men after him."

"So I take it that it wasn't my son who killed the dragon?"

"I didn't kill it. I let him go because he is the last."

"You... did... what?"

"Kilgharrah is the last of his kind and he didn't deserve to die, despite what he'd done. I only saw that when I was about to kill him."

Merlin then began to tell the king about everything, starting with what had happened with Lady Helen. He confessed about everything after that in chronological order, including Nimueh, Sophia and Aulfric and Freya, though he didn't mention that the latter was alive. When he had finished with that, he began to explain about Morgana and what had happened with her. Uther did not look happy at this at all.

"You...told her...about...the Druids."

"She needed help. If you had ever found out about her magic, I think both of us know that you would have had her killed."

"There... are things... you... don't... understand... boy."

"But there are other things I do understand; like that you did sacrifice your wife for a son."

"What... exactly... did Morgause... tell him?

"That you went behind your wife's back and asked Nimueh for help."

"That... is not... exactly... true... Ygraine... had an... accident... a few... years... before that... We both... decided... to ask... for Nimueh's help."

"And you blamed magic for what you asked of the Old Religion. I'm sorry, Sire, but for a life to live, a life has to be taken. Surely you were warned about it. Or did you just expect it to not be her?"

Uther did not answer this so Merlin continued.

"Have all of those deaths satisfied you? You've killed countless innocent people for a crime you have committed yourself and you've convinced yourself that anyone who uses magic is evil. The only reason all the magic you see these days is evil is because the people want vengeance. All of the others are scared or don't want to take vengeance because they do not believe in it. The Druids had done nothing wrong and you had them slaughtered, just like what you had done to my kind. My father was the last because of what you did. He was coming back with us but not at first because of what you had done. It's also why Kilgharrah attacked. He was so angry that you had killed every other dragon, leaving only him as an example. You had him put in a cave and left there for all to forget."

Uther chuckled.

"I... should have... you flogged... for that."

"Well go ahead. If it stops the slaughtering then you can kill me. My people have been suffering for years because of you." The pair paused for a minute, Uther looking mildly surprised by Merlin's statement.

"You're the... Leader... of the... Old Ways... or at least... you said... you are."

"I am and I sometimes feel pain inside me because of all that's going on. I've never told anyone this but it's true. Being who I am means I sense what my people feel and I let it all in because I understand their pain and the conflict. Can you imagine all of that grief and misery reverberate inside you? I'm not saying that you haven't done that bad a job of raising Arthur and keeping the kingdom running, it's just that when it comes to magic, you don't listen. You hear the word and you immediately think that that person must be evil just because you and your wife knowingly played with nature and you've been left to suffer the consequences."

Merlin knew he was being rude to the king but he didn't care. If Uther was going to have him killed for having magic then he might as well vent his feelings before he met his doom.

"Have... you ever... lost someone... because of something... you did?" the king asked.

"I've lost so many people I love and it's because of me that they're dead. The Morgana everybody knew is dead because I couldn't reveal my magic to her; by then she'd already allied herself with Morgause. I was the one who ultimately killed her because if I hadn't then Camelot would have died- you, Arthur and everybody else would have fallen. I didn't exactly feel comfortable about it either. It's because of me that my father is dead because I released Kilgharrah and I didn't defend myself properly in Cenred's kingdom. He took a blow for me and I couldn't save him. I couldn't save the woman I love either, after Arthur wounded her. I can never forget losing her. My mother's dead because I didn't give Vortigern the information he wanted, or so he thought. He wanted to know how you and Arthur have survived for so long but he didn't believe that it was me who'd done the saving. He ran her through right in front of me."

"I... don't think... anyone... sees you... as... a hero."

"I've been told that before."

Uther actually laughed but immediately groaned as the wound became worse.

"Why won't you let me heal that?"

"Because I will not have magic used on me, even though you may be right."

Merlin stared at the king as if he had gone mad.

"It took you over twenty years to admit that? Then again, Arthur is known for being as stubborn as you."

Uther raised his eyebrows.

"You... surprise me... You display... such loyalty to... me and my... son... yet you are... capable... of being... rather rude but honest... to us... as well as... disobeying... one of my most... punishable... laws."

"I'm sorry, Sire." Despite the apology, Merlin held his head high in nothing short of defiance.

"I'm dying... I don't care... anymore... All... I care... about... is that Arthur... lives... to be King... and that Vortigern... or someone... like him... doesn't take it. Why... does... Vortigern want... you anyway?"

Merlin sighed and gave the king a weighed look. "Did you ever hear about Vortigern's missing sibling?"

"Yes."

"Well the missing child...was my mother."

Uther's eyes widened in astonishment as Merlin said the words. "And she... had... a child... with Evander's... nephew." He snorted. "Do you... know?"

"Evander was the Dragonlord who helped you by defeating Vortigern. Vortigern swore vengeance on his family because he mortally wounded Evander, who died not long after. My father and Ma'ab were his brother's children."

"So... you did go... through with... the ritual."

"Yes, Ma'ab gave me her powers because she saw that it would be the only way to save Arthur. She knew that he would be cursed. She also sensed her time was at an end."

"She's... dead?"

Merlin just nodded because he felt a lurch of something as he remembered Ma'ab's voice at Stonehenge.

"Did... Vortigern tell... you... about his... sibling?"

Merlin nodded.

"So... your entire family... were meant to... be my... enemies... but you turned... out... completely... different."

"Some might see it like that."

"What did you... mean about... being 'the... protector of the... Once and... Future King'?"

"It's my destiny to make sure that Arthur becomes King of Camelot so that he can unite the land."

"Destiny?"

"There's... a sort of prophecy about me and Arthur. I'm mainly referred to as Emrys as well as some other names."

"I... see." Merlin wasn't sure he did. He had just confessed everything to the king and now he was beginning to think it had been even more idiotic than when he had looked at the crystals again in the Crystal Cave.

Merlin then looked up and that was when he spotted a small tunnel on the wall facing him. Running to see where it led, the warlock saw that it began to head back upwards. He went back over to Uther and started to pull the king to his feet.

"What... are you... doing?" the king groaned as his mouth made a grimace from the pain.

"There's tunnel out of here," Merlin muttered, taking care not to aggravate Uther's injuries further.

"There's... no point."

"I'm not about to leave you in a cave."

Uther gave Merlin and odd look.

"You'd... help me... even... if I... had you... killed?"

"You may hate me and my kind but that doesn't mean I have to be hostile towards you."

"Are... you just... trying... to make... me feel... guilty?"

"I think I may have already done that... And no, I'm not. We just need to get you to the knights and then we'll have to try and heal you without using magic."

Uther said nothing and the pair both struggled up the tunnel towards the previous cave. When they reached it, they found that the knights were peering down the hole the two had made.

"We need help," Merlin called, his voice echoing oddly around the cave.

The knights stared around and ran at them, their faces full of concern for their king.

"What happened?" Sir Hoel demanded as they all laid Uther on the ground.

"It was a Wildeoren," Merlin said. "These caves might be full of them." Hoel swore as he turned back to the king. Sir Kay was kneeling next to Uther and the other knights were standing around, clearly clueless about what they should do.

"I... have orders... for you all," Uther managed to gasp. They all leant closer.

Merlin stared down at the king, his insides squirming. Was Uther about to tell them about his magic?

"You... are to follow... the boy." Everybody stared up at Merlin. "I'm... leaving him... in charge... until you... rescue my son."

"Sire?" Kay asked.

"That... is my final... instruction... Merlin... come closer."

The knights backed away as Merlin knelt next to the king. Uther grabbed his neckerchief and brought Merlin's ear to his mouth.

"Save... Arthur... Save... my kingdom... This is... all that your... king... asks of you."

Merlin nodded.

"Aren't you going to-"

"Arthur... knows about... you... It is clear... to me... that he... has made his... decision about... magic... and I will... not contradict... his decision... You yourself... have... proved to... be loyal... to Camelot... despite using... your gifts... Just save... my son... Emrys."

Merlin was shocked to hear Uther call him by that name but was even more startled as the king's grip slackened and his hand fell to the floor. Merlin stared in horror as Uther's eyes dulled and he felt a disturbance as the man's soul left his body.

The warlock turned around to see the knights' faces mirroring his own. Merlin then closed Uther's eyes and bowed his head in respect before standing up.

"Why would he leave you in charge?" Sir Ywain asked, suspiciously.

"I've no idea," Merlin replied. "All that happened was the Wilddeoren attacked him and I managed to kill it and then I had to get him out of there before more Wilddeoren showed up, if there even are more."

"Who are we to question the king's decision?" Kay said. "If he's put Merlin in charge, then he's put him in charge. I'm not going to argue with Uther's judgement."

"For crying out loud," Safir cried. "The king has just died. Show some respect." He walked back over to where Merlin was and knelt next to the king. "I'm also going to follow Merlin because he's the only one of us who knows where in Brocéliande Arthur is."

"You're only saying that because he saved your life," Hoel muttered. Dagonet and Bors murmured their agreement.

"So what?" Safir said, in a confrontational manner. "I'd trust this boy with my life and I'm not afraid to admit it. It's high time you begin to trust him as well, Hoel."

"Let's just all calm down," Aglovale interrupted. "As Safir just said, the king is dead. We all need to keep cool heads before we fall out and become unable to save the next king." There was silence at this. "I personally agree with Kay and Safir. Merlin has shown himself to be worthy to lead us for a short while at least. He's proved himself to extremely loyal to Camelot and everybody in it. Anybody who says different is a fool." Nobody could say anything to this. They all looked at Merlin, who was still gazing at the king's body.

"Merlin?" Safir whispered. The warlock sighed.

"Someone needs to stay with the king's body." Merlin stood and looked around, shaking slightly as he saw their attentive gazes. "Sir Kay, could you, Sir Tor and Sir Dagonet take him back to Stonehenge; you'll be safe there. The rest of us will go to Gaul and rescue Arthur then meet you there."

Kay nodded, smiling. However, Dagonet looked troubled.

"I didn't like that place," he murmured. "I once heard that there were evil spirits there."

"There are no evil spirits there, you can be sure of that," Merlin said. "Is it alright if you wrap the king's body? I'm not sure Arthur..."

The three nodded and went to pick Uther's body off of the floor. The group then made their way back through the tunnel, swords at the ready in case there were any more Wilddeoren. When they reached the cave mouth, they found that the rain had finally stopped but the sky was still a dull grey and the sun was hidden entirely by the clouds. It reflected all of their moods.

Merlin was feeling slightly numb. He couldn't believe that he was free. Arthur was now technically king and if he did what he had said he would do, the warlock would never again have to hide who he really was. He was still slightly stunned that Uther had put him in charge of the knights until they rescued Arthur from Morgana and whoever else might be there, but the greater surprise was from that Uther had taken Merlin's secret to his grave. The warlock knew that the kingdom would have to get used to accepting magic again but he knew that everyone would be happier because it wouldn't mean the endless witch-hunts and prosecutions. The knights in particular would still follow Uther's laws to the letter.

He also felt a jolt as he realised that Freya would be free as well and that their child would not be born into a kingdom full of hate towards their kind. They could all be happy.

Merlin then remembered that Arthur had just lost his father, though he didn't know it yet. He could imagine what the prince would be like and he felt a great amount of sympathy stir inside him. All of them were now orphans- he, Arthur, Gwen, Freya and even Morgana. Even though they were all slightly different, they had so much in common. They had all lost so much as well, but in different ways.

The warlock was then jerked from his thoughts as Safir spoke to him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I'm just thinking."

"If Hoel or anyone else gives you any trouble-"

"That's not a problem. We definitely need to get going now. Rescuing Arthur is our main concern and we just need to work together."

"Good idea, sir." Safir was joking but Merlin still cringed.

* * *

Merlin looked up as another one of the knights made a retching noise.

They had reached the coast about a day and a half after Uther's death and had caught the next ship to Gaul. Merlin had persuaded the knights to hide the emblems of Camelot they wore because he could guess that the people in Gaul wouldn't welcome Uther's Knights. The ship had been travelling for a few hours and already, some of the men had been sick. Merlin couldn't see what the problem was because he felt fine.

"Lucky you," Safir grumbled when Merlin put this point to him, wondering why that was. The knight's face looked slightly green as he spoke. "I think I'd give anything to have a calm stomach at the moment."

"Have you ever been on a ship before?"

"No. You?"

"This is my first time to."

"You must have novices luck. Wish I did."

"We'll be there soon. Then we ride straight for Brocéliande."

Merlin then went silent and stared into space.

"Are you still thinking about Uther?"

"I've never seen anyone mauled like that before. I've seen people stabbed and that was horrible enough but that doesn't cover it."

"It wasn't pretty at all. That beast did a thorough job. He was lucky to have survived for that much longer after you killed it."

"He must have been in a lot of pain."

"Put it this way, if you hadn't finished the beast before it finished him, we'd have been discussing tactics for who knows how long. Then Arthur might be dead as well."

Merlin sighed.

"Come on, Merlin, we all need to try and get some sleep. You need to stop thinking about it like you think it's your fault, the same way you've done with other stuff."

The warlock stared at him.

"How do you know about that?"

"Arthur mentioned that you've recently taken to blaming yourself about quite a lot of things, including your mother. Just try and sleep, Merlin. You haven't slept since we left Camelot." Safir then turned over and tried to sleep, though he stomach churned in time with the motion of the ship as it pushed through the waves.

Merlin, however, just lay on his side and made no attempt to go to sleep. He was too busy thinking about what he planned to do next. He was also trying to keep the image of Uther's lifeless body out of his mind, as it reminded him of seeing Freya and his parents dying.

In a way, Merlin was sorry that Arthur hadn't been there to say goodbye to his father but Merlin was glad that Arthur hadn't seen him in such a mess. He sincerely hoped that Morgana didn't have some way of sensing that Uther was dead. She would torment Arthur and make the prince feel even worse than was strictly necessary. Merlin could sympathise with how it felt to lose a parent and he wouldn't even wish it on anyone.

Whilst Merlin continued to think about many other things including Arthur and Freya and the baby, the ship drew closer to Gaul until they had docked.

The warlock shook Safir awake and the group made their way towards their horses. The knights appeared to be slightly giddy and looked quite ill. They were relieved to reach their horses and ride off of the boat and onto solid ground. Merlin did the same but without the giddiness or sighing with relief. The trip hadn't bothered him at all.

Merlin then had to read the directions he had written on a scrap of parchment and galloped down the road leaving the docking town, the knights right behind him. If memory served well from what he had managed to wrangle out of Geoffrey then Merlin guessed that they had another half a day's journey until they reached Brocéliande.

They rode in silence down the many country roads and were glad to see that they were all deserted. As the sun began to rise over the distant hills, Merlin caught sight of a vast stretch of forest. Looking back down at his directions, he realised that they had finally reached Brocéliande. The warlock was then suddenly hit by an aura of magic that caused his core to go slightly numb. What was it with places that were full of magic? Merlin only hoped that he wouldn't sustain the look of somebody ill like he had done at Tintagel. Getting a grip on himself, he spurred his horse on towards the forest that lay in front of them. The knights followed without hesitation.

When they were near the border, there was a sudden neighing noise that caused Merlin to look around in horror. He then saw Sir Bors on the dusty ground, cursing to himself. Sir Ywain had ridden after the knight's fleeing horse.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked, dismounting and leading his horse over as he went to check on the swearing knight. He pulled the knight to his feet, to the surprise of all watching, apart from Safir.

"I think the forest frightened my horse," Bors muttered. "It tossed me off. Not that I blame it- I don't like the feeling of the place at all."

"Can you feel it?" Sir Hoel muttered.

"If you mean the nagging feeling to get away from here," Safir said, "then yes. The quicker we find Arthur, I think the happier we will all be."

That was when Ywain returned with Bors' horse. The knight then gave Merlin a nod of acknowledgement. Once he had mounted his horse, they carried on, finally reaching the dark border of the forest of Brocéliande.

Merlin stared around at the dark shapes of the trees. Reaching out, he touched a bough and shivered at the powerful magic he felt there. He knew that this was the same throughout the whole forest.

"How are we meant to find our way through all of this?" Aglovale murmured.

"Not with the horses," Merlin said. "We're going to have to leave them here. They'd never be able to get through all of this." He motioned at the ground, which was upturned with many roots. Potholes could be seen ever few inches and random shrubbery grew on the path, which they could only just see.

Once the horses were secured, the group began to press towards the centre of Brocéliande, where Merlin knew the Sorcerer's Tree to be. He only hoped that Arthur and Morgana hadn't left as he didn't dare try and sense either of them whilst he was with the knights.

It made no difference that the sun was slowly rising over the horizon; the trees obscured practically all of the sunlight, making it seem that they were walking continuously in the night.

At one point, Safir drew to a complete halt.

"What is it?" Merlin hissed.

"I heard something. It might have been an animal but I doubt it; no animal would be stupid enough to come to this place."

Everybody else froze then, as one, drew their swords from their sheaths. Merlin himself gripped his sword and tried to remember what Arthur had told him in that brief sword lesson that seemed an age ago. They all stared around suspiciously.

"Are you sure you heard something?" Ywain asked Safir.

"Positive."

There was the sudden cracking of twigs and the group suddenly found themselves surrounded by a small army of mercenaries. There was no way to escape as the men had managed to form a perfect circle around them.

Staring around in horror, Merlin saw the crest on their armour. He felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

"No," he groaned.

To confirm his worst fears, the circle of mercenaries broke and a man walked into the circle. The knights shuffled uncomfortably. Safir actually cursed and spat on the ground. Vortigern ignored this and regarded Merlin with a triumphant yet questioning look.

"Hello nephew."

The knights stared at Merlin in utter astonishment. Merlin ignored their gazes but inside he felt his stomach drop. He couldn't bring himself to look at Safir, who he had started to count as a friend.

"How did you know we were here?" Merlin spat.

"Morgana set wards up around the forest. I'm surprised, quite frankly, Merlin; I expected more knights and possibly Uther himself."

Merlin had to stop himself from sighing with relief. None of them knew that the king was dead.

"And why would she need you to come and bring us to her like a messenger? Or have you finally taken to following orders?" Vortigern glowered at the insult.

"She didn't come and get you herself because she has other matters to attend to before she deals with you. However, she is still keeping to her word about you."

"You still want me." Merlin mustered the best look of disgust he could but it only caused Vortigern and his men to laugh.

Merlin felt his anger rise as he watched the man who had killed his mother laugh and something stirred in him that he had never known was there. Screaming a wordless yell, the warlock ran at his uncle but was immediately stopped by one of the men. Merlin felt a flash of pain and he fell to the floor. Staring down at himself, he saw that his stomach was bleeding. He could sense that it wasn't that deep but it still let forth a fountain of blood.

He saw Vortigern shout at the man that had injured Merlin, though he couldn't hear anything. The warlock then watched as Vortigern cut the man down where he stood.

Merlin then felt somebody half-lift him off of the floor and he stared up into Safir's concerned face. The knight's mouth was forming words but the boy couldn't make out what he was saying. Behind him, Merlin could see Sir Hoel crouch over them, his face stretched with concern.

That was when Safir and Hoel were dragged away from him. Trying to lift his head, Merlin saw the knights trying to fight their way out of the circle of men that had closed around them. Merlin then felt the hilt of a sword smack against his head. His world went black.

* * *

_Trust me, this is nothing compared with what's about to happen. All I will say is that there is going to be an old face and a new one. Please keep on reviewing, and I will try to update soon._

_MerlinStar  
_


	16. Chapter 15

_Sor__ry it's been a while, so here are two more chapters. Things go from bad to worse. Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Arthur looked up from where he sat in the cage and saw, to his horror, five of the knights of Camelot led into the clearing, looking as if they had just been in a brawl. Aglovale had a split lip, Bors had a purple eye and Hoel was sporting a long cut across his forehead. The prince couldn't help notice that Safir was behaving particularly ferociously towards the men that led them towards the cage.

"It appears we have some guests, Arthur," Morgana said, walking away from where she had been standing next to Morgause's cocoon.

The knights all looked at Morgana in either surprise of disgust as they were unceremoniously shoved into the cage.

"Are you alright, Sire?" Ywain asked.

"I'm fine. Are you all that came?"

"Your servant was here to but they've taken him somewhere else. He's in a very bad way. One of Vortigern's men cut his stomach."  
"Was it deep?"

"No," Safir said. "I've seen worse but still... Arthur, I think you should know... Vortigern called Merlin his nephew."

"He is."

The knights looked at him in shock.

"You knew?" Safir whispered.

"I was there when Merlin first found out. I've never seen him more repulsed by anything else. According to Vortigern, his mother had a child whilst she was travelling and she had her maid run with the baby. The maid was found by Gaius and his father and the baby was Merlin's mother."

"But didn't Vortigern kill his mother?"

"Yes."

"God."

The knights were still and silent as they processed this information. Ywain looked around and jumped back, cursing.

"Why have they got a dragon here?" he hissed.

"He's a hostage, like us. Morgana thinks that he can be used as leverage," Arthur explained.

"Why are they keeping us alive?" Aglovale muttered, staring at Morgana and Vortigern's men.

"They want us to watch before they kill us."

"Watch what?"

"And why exactly are there two people tied to that tree over there?" Bors asked, motioning at the bound people.

"I think they're sacrifices."

"For what?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

* * *

Merlin groaned as he returned to consciousness. His head and stomach felt sore from where he had been hit and injured.

Opening his eyes, the warlock found that he was firmly bound to a chair in the middle of clearing. Merlin hoped that he was still in Brocéliande. He tried to move his head but was surprised to find that it was also tied to the chair. He couldn't move.

He then saw Vortigern walk towards him out of the shadows, followed by hooded figures.

Muttering a spell, Merlin tried to break the chains that bound him. It rattled violently but didn't break. He cursed.

"Those chains have been imbued with the magical skill of many," Vortigern explained.

"And they did a really good job," Merlin muttered, staring down at one of his hands that was tied to the chair. "Why a chair? Wouldn't a tree have been just as useful?"

"You're worrying about what you're tied to?"

"Amongst other things, yes."

Vortigern snorted and Merlin glared at him again.

"If you're using a chair and you've chained me to it like this then it means you plan on doing something."

"You're sharper than some people I talked to think you are."

"Let me guess, Morgana and Morgause."

"Amongst others, yes."

Merlin tried to use magic to break free again. He felt the chains shift as he fought the sorcerers' magic. After a few more seconds of only partial concentration, there was a final tearing noise of metal and Merlin was relieved to see the chains fall away from him. However, the moment that had happened, at least three or four of the hooded figures rushed forwards and held him down. Merlin tried to struggle and was about to feel for some more of his magic when he felt the thing that was clamping his head to the chair go slightly tighter.

"Why do you insist on struggling Merlin?"

"Oh I don't know; possibly because you murdered my mother and you want to hurt my friends and take over Camelot."

"I've told you about my cause."

"And I've told you that I think what you're doing is cruel and twisted and that you're worse than Uther."

"And he would have you killed if he knew about you, especially since you heal at an incredibly extraordinary rate. That was never part of being a Dragonlord. However, Morgana told me about a prophecy concerning you and Arthur. Something about you two restoring peace and magic to Camelot. I don't suppose that is why you seem to be so extraordinarily quick at healing?"

"It depends on how you look at it."

"Then if you are indeed so powerful, why do you put your life in danger under Uther's rule when you can join me, your own uncle?"

"Because I'd rather live with the constant threat over my head than use magic for evil."

"Then this is entirely necessary."

Vortigern stepped backwards and the rest of the hooded figures came forwards. The one at the front pulled down their hood and Merlin saw that it was Lamya, her face set in a cold and dangerous expression.

At once, all of the sorcerers began to chant a spell. Merlin felt a coldness creep inside him and he felt all of them reach out to him. The warlock began to shudder as they felt for his mind. In that moment he realised what they were trying to do. Vortigern was going to make Merlin join him and not of his free will. The boy hissed as they began to drill their way into his mind and he tried to jerk out of the sorcerers grip but he wasn't strong enough.

Merlin then closed his eyes and began to fight back with his magic. There was no way he was going to be enslaved by Vortigern and his followers. The servant began to feel the air around him become hotter and he heard the sorcerers holding him down murmured uncertainly to each other.

The warlock's eyes opened again and flashed that brilliant gold colour. Everyone in the area was thrown backwards as a wave of light flew out from Merlin, momentarily blinding them. They were all left groaning on the floor, apart from Vortigern who was trying to force himself back onto his feet.

Merlin, feeling slightly shocked by what he had just accomplished, used magic to slip his head out of the metal brace that had encircled it and walked away from them as fast as he could. Closing his eyes briefly, he felt for Arthur and the other knights. He also felt an all too familiar presence. The warlock was horrified to find that Kilgharrah was also there.

Walking over the entangled roots and undergrowth, Merlin soon saw a huge cage with Kilgharrah behind it. He was enraged to see that the dragon was bound to the floor, like some sort of dog.

He paced towards the cage and peered inside.

"Merlin?" he heard Safir's voice. "Merlin, behind you!"

The warlock span around and moved out of the way just in time as a bolt of lightning shot at him. The knights jumped back as the bolt struck the side of the cage but bounced off, most probably because of the enchantments Morgana had put on it.

Merlin stared at the perpetrator of the lightning, his face becoming drawn.

"I should have guessed they'd do something like this," he said.

"As the saying goes, Merlin, the dead sometimes don't stay dead."

Merlin breathed heavily as he took in the dark brown hair, blue eyes and ragged magenta dress. Nimueh looked no different from the last time he had seen her, when he had killed her.

"Where's Arthur, Nimueh?" he spat. "If you've hurt him."

"Oh, we haven't hurt him. Not yet anyway. And I'm quite surprised that Vortigern's plan didn't work; he said his sorcerers were efficient enough to enchant somebody as powerful as you."

"I've learnt and gained a lot more since we last met."

"And lost a lot from what I've been told. But tell me, Merlin; are you ready to lose another?"

Nimueh turned and Merlin looked behind her to see Arthur on his knees and Morgana holding a sword against his back.

"Arthur," Merlin muttered, his face falling.

"Merlin," Arthur said, through gritted teeth, "don't do anything stupid."

"He won't," Morgana said. "Not unless he wants to see me run you through as well as the Dragon suffering a painful death." Morgana looked up at Merlin, a cruel smile playing across her lips.

"Let me guess- necromancy?" he asked.

"It wasn't hard to bring back a High Priestess whose soul was in torment."

"Well...it'll only be a certain amount of time before she ends up back in the Vault of Souls."

"And how could you possibly know about that?" Nimueh said. Merlin said nothing.

At that moment, Vortigern entered the clearing, looking very windswept, followed by two soldiers. He looked around at each of them, his gaze lingering on Merlin. He nodded and the soldiers went over to the warlock and grabbed him. Merlin didn't struggle because of his concern for Arthur, Kilgharrah and the knights.

"I take it trying to control his mind wasn't the best idea," Morgana said to him.

"He's a lot more powerful than any of us gave him credit. My people are still recovering from what he did to them."

Merlin stared at Arthur before turning to Nimueh.

"So what are you going to do? Have me become _his _puppet and let myself be used by all of you so that Camelot falls?"

"All of that including two more things," Nimueh said, "my daughter being one of them."

Arthur and Merlin froze.

"Daughter?" Arthur said.

"It isn't impossible for a High Priestess to have children. Merlin here has quite seriously injured mine."

"Morgause is your daughter!" Merlin said in horror.

"She was born in Camelot some time ago and I had your physician smuggle her out of there so that she could be raised by the Old Religion with no interruption from Uther or her father, Gorlois."

"That's how Morgana is her sister," Arthur muttered.

"And there is a lot more to that than you know, Arthur, but you'll soon find out."

Nimueh then walked towards a cauldron in the middle of the clearing and her eyes flashed gold as the wood underneath it caught fire. She then brandished her hand and an all too familiar goblet appeared in her hands. She turned to some sort of cocoon and it cracked open, revealing the clearly unconscious form of Morgause.

The heavens suddenly opened and rain fell into the Cup of Life, soaking everything else. Nimueh then poured it down Morgause's throat.

As Morgause began to awaken, Nimueh nodded at Vortigern who went over to a nearby tree, where two people were bound and ran one of them through. Merlin looked away but he couldn't block the person's scream out of his ears. Merlin felt wretched. That person had been innocent.

Vortigern then took over guarding over Arthur whilst Morgana went over to her sister, her face brightening slightly. Merlin might have thought it sweet if it had not been for the current circumstances.

Nimueh meanwhile was back at the cauldron and muttering enchantments over some sort of liquid that lay in it. Merlin didn't like the feel of the spells she was weaving. The sorceress then produced a dagger and cut of a lock of her hair and threw it into the cauldron, which emitted a spiral of flames as the hair was absorbed.

She then motioned for the soldiers to bring Merlin forwards. The warlock began to struggle but stopped as he saw Vortigern hold his sword at Arthur's throat. Behind him, Merlin could hear the knights shouting but his mind was too busy to understand what they were saying. Kilgharrah was even straining against his bonds but was failing.

"Hold out his arm," Nimueh commanded. One of the soldiers did so.

Merlin tried to squirm away again but failed against the soldiers' tight grip. Nimueh pulled back his sleeves and made a long cut along his arm. Merlin had to close his mouth and hold his breath to stop himself from letting them know that that had really hurt. Nimueh then led Merlin's restrained arm over the cauldron and they all watched as the warlock's blood dribbled into it.

There was a massive explosion that sent everybody to their knees as the cauldron rose into the air and began to distort.

"Quickly, Vortigern," Morgana said. Vortigern again went over to the tree and killed the other person.

This gave Arthur a chance to get to his feet and run to Merlin. Lashing out at the men with his feet, he caught them unawares and they fell the ground, moaning with pain. Merlin immediately began to untie his hands. He had just finished when the cauldron let out another explosion but this time it didn't send them all to the ground. It suddenly caught fire, lighting the dismal surroundings with an orange light. Once the flames had died, it appeared to have shrunk and was slowly descending back towards the ground. Nimueh went underneath it and cuddled it close as it went into her arms. It appeared to be a bundle of cloth.

For a few seconds, there was silence but it was then broken by a crying noise coming from the thing in Nimueh's arms.

Arthur stared at his servant.

"That's a baby," he muttered. "Oh my God."

By now the two soldiers had recovered from Arthur's attack and suddenly grabbed the two from behind, forcing them to their knees.

Nimueh brought the baby over and Merlin stared into its face. The eyes staring back at him were exactly like his and he also saw that the baby had jet black hair, exactly like Merlin's.

"What have you done?" he muttered, glaring up at Nimueh.

"I've created a future leader of men. He might not be able to use magic but he will be strong. It also makes you feel ashamed of having a child that shall be raised to hate Camelot and its allies."

"You've just killed innocent people for your experiment!"

"This wasn't an experiment. Morgana has been planning this for the last few months. It gives her and Morgause a chance to pass on the legacy of our family and let you know that your son is being raised by the people you declared your enemies by what you did. You won't be able to do anything about it. Morgana has agreed to split the kingdom in half so that she can rule one part and Vortigern can rule the other."

"It's not Morgana's decision who rules Camelot," Arthur said. Nimueh smirked at this.

"As I said, there is a lot more to that than you know," she whispered, smiling.

Merlin was still staring at the baby boy in Nimueh's arms. The boy was peering at him with his blue eyes, wide with apparent interest. The warlock couldn't believe that he was actually in front of him- the impossible child. Merlin was having a great amount of trouble getting his head around the idea that this was his child but he knew that he didn't mind how he had came to be. It was as if he was reliving when Freya had told him that she was pregnant and he knew how special that child would be. This was his son and they wanted to raise him evil, something which he would never allow.

"Get ready," he murmured to Arthur and Nimueh turned her back.

"Mother?" Morgause said as she sat up, having just woken properly. "How..."

"You taught your sister well in such a short period of time; she has a progressing skill in necromancy and shows great promise." Both Morgana and Morgause nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

"Is that a baby?" Morgause asked, peering at the boy in her mother's arms.

"This is your half-brother, Llyr."

"How did he come to exist?"

"An ancient spell, my daughter, including the warlock's blood."

Morgause stared around at where Merlin and Arthur were being guarded. She looked at Arthur briefly before fixing her gaze on Merlin. Her eyes became slits as she glared at him.

"Morgause, don't worry," Nimueh said. "You can have your revenge by raising this child to hate Camelot and watch Merlin being forced to do Vortigern's bidding."

"You were all for killing me last time," Merlin said, taking a deep breath as he began to reach out.

"And now I'm going to watch you suffer," Morgana said, smiling, but was slightly put out as Merlin eyes glistened with confidence. That was when the earth trembled.

Everybody gasped as at least three of the trees pulled their roots out of the ground and stomped towards them, swinging their branches in a dangerous manner. Merlin felt a pang as the baby began to cry.

"Vortigern," Morgause said, warningly.

Not needing to be told twice, Vortigern made his way away from the clearing but not before turning to the two sisters.

"Do not forget, I want him alive."

Arthur and Merlin had broken out of the men's grip and were currently tugging at the cage, Merlin using his magic to destroy the spells. The knights were also trying to help them.

That was when there was a roar of fire suddenly filled the area and the two span around to see that the trees were on fire and the only people left were the angry Morgause and Morgana.

"Where did she take the baby?" Merlin shouted over the burning sound.

"Nimueh took him somewhere safe," Morgana taunted. "You're not a very good father, Merlin, to put your child in danger."

Arthur watched as Merlin's face paled. He knew what he was thinking. He was worrying if he would be as stupid as that when his and Freya's baby was born.

"He's going to make an amazing father," the prince said. Merlin shot a smile at him. However, the two sorceresses laughed.

A tongue of fire suddenly shot out towards the two men. The knights cried out in horror as both Merlin and Arthur were apparently engulfed in the flames. Then, to their amazement and shock, the two appeared completely unharmed with Merlin standing there, his eyes flashing gold.

Snarling, Morgana sent a fireball at the warlock and to her frustration and bewilderment, the fireball stopped right in front of Merlin before extinguishing itself.

"How is it possible for you to be using magic without uttering a single word or making a single gesture?" Morgause shot at him.

Merlin bit his lip before answering. They were going to find out eventually.

"Ma'ab was my aunt."

A look of incredulity appeared on Morgause's face and Morgana just looked confused. But it soon passed and Morgause muttered a spell.

The ground suddenly opened up beneath Arthur's feet and swallowed half of his legs, just as some sort of bubble appeared around the cage the knights were in, blocking them from view. Merlin yelled in shock and went over to help but Morgause stopped him.

"Move now and I will kill your prince," she warned. Merlin knew that she meant it. He wilted slightly.

"Merlin, don't listen to her," Arthur growled, trying to wrench his legs out of the earth.

"If you want him to live," Morgause continued, "you'll stay still." Her eyes flashed gold.

Merlin suddenly felt something grab him by the legs and he fell flat on his back before he was dragged across the floor. Looking down, he saw the roots of a tree drag him towards the one in the middle of the clearing- the Sorcerer's Tree.

The warlock then looked quickly at Kilgharrah, who was still fighting against his bonds. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the dragon saw this. He felt the magic lift from his bonds.

"_Wait_," Merlin told him through their link, so Kilgharrah decided to wait but immediately regretted this.

The ground then began to swallow Merlin and a number of roots wrapped themselves around the warlock's body. He tried to struggle but he too knew he had to wait.

Once the earth had completely covered him, Morgause muttered another spell and a boulder rolled over Merlin's tomb.

Arthur had been shouting out to Merlin throughout all of this and couldn't believe that the boy had been prepared to give up so easily. Now, he glared at the sisters who had just crushed his friend in the ground, just as the earth gave him his legs back.

"You do realise that you've probably just broken your agreement with Vortigern!" he shouted.

"Oh he won't die," Morgause explained. Morgana frowned at this. "He'll come back out soon to find that his world has completely changed."

"I saw your face, Morgause; you know what Merlin is. Something tells me he'll be out of there quicker than you'd like to think."

"Not unless he wants to see you and all those he cares about dead."

Arthur knew she was right. He knew there was no way that Merlin would allow any harm to come to Freya, Gaius, Gwen or him.

"What does he mean you know what Merlin is?" Morgana asked her sister, her eyes not leaving the prince.

"It appears that the boy is the Leader of the Old Religion," Morgause explained. Morgana's eyes widened. Morgause looked back at Arthur to see that he was giving her a look of disgust. "Is there something wrong?"

"You've just imprisoned my friend in the ground and you tried to turn me against my father and take over Camelot. Of course there's something wrong."

"All I showed you was the truth. All that I may have changed was that your parents agreed on using magic at your birth."

"You're lying," Arthur shouted, feeling as if he had just been drenched in freezing water.

"Why would I lie to someone who's practically family?"

The prince's face froze into an unreadable mask.

"You have to be lying!"

Morgana opened her mouth but before she could speak the semi-silence was filled with a rumbling roar. They span around to see Kilgharrah pulling free of his bonds, uprooting the surrounding trees. He stretched his wings and roared again, turning his head in the direction of Morgana and Morgause, his mouth snapping open, breaking the chain that had encircled it.

Arthur saw the two sorceresses freeze and stare up at the dragon, clearing surprised that he had managed to escape.

Kilgharrah then shot a tongue of fire at them but before it got anywhere near them they were gone, much to Arthur and Kilgharrah's frustration.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted running to the boulder that lay on top of Merlin. He turned to the Dragon, who immediately dug his claws underneath the boulder and hurled it away. Arthur stared at the smooth ground, which showed no sign that the warlock was buried underneath it. The prince was prepared to start digging with his hands when there was a sort of rumbling and the ground began to shake. Jumping back, Arthur watched as a hand suddenly punched through the earth and groped at the ground around it.

"God," somebody said from behind. Arthur turned away to see that the bubble like thing was no longer encircling the cage.

"Could you let them out?" he asked Kilgharrah.

"Of course."

Kilgharrah turned to the knights whilst Arthur began to help Merlin out of his earthy prison. When most of the ground had been moved off the warlock, Arthur began to pull at the roots that tied Merlin to the sides of the hole. Bit by bit, more of Merlin became visible. Both arms and the other hand followed the first hand, then his legs and then his torso and head. Eventually, Arthur heaved a dazed Merlin out of the ground.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, as he sat Merlin on the ground.

"I'll live," Merlin replied, weakly.

"I thought you'd suffocate."

"I wasn't going to; it was just a bit tight. Thanks for getting me out."

"It's no problem." Arthur clapped him on the back. Merlin groaned and massaged his shoulder.

"You can't tell me that that hurt."

"I've just been buried in the ground. I'm a bit tender at the moment."

Arthur rolled his eyes. That was when he noticed that the knights were standing right in front of them. He looked into every single pair of eyes. Shock was mingled in their gazes, however some appeared to be confused but others looked absolutely furious.

"Did you know about this, Sire?" Sir Aglovale asked, in a slightly accusing tone.

"Yes, I did," Arthur told them all, his gaze severe. "Merlin _can _use magic but he has never even thought of using it for evil."

"Sire, permit me to say," Ywain said, "but how can you trust him when he goes against your father's laws as well as being the nephew of one of our greatest enemies?"

"Since when were we ever meant to judge someone by who they were related to?" Arthur stood up as did Merlin, who was looking slightly sheepish. "I trust Merlin with my life and it has been proved to me that he'd never do anything to usurp that trust."

"But, Sire, he uses magic," Aglovale said, as if he thought that Arthur hadn't noticed.

"If Merlin had wanted to harm us, he would have already done so; he's had a million opportunities. He's not just any old sorcerer. He can't help being who he is and he's meant to protect me and Camelot and he's the last of his kind."

"What kind is that?" Safir asked, still frowning as if he was still trying to process what had just happened.

"He's the last Dragonlord."

Nobody said anything to this. They all stared, their mouths slightly open.

"So if you did try and kill him, you'd possibly end the Dragonlord line and turn the world upside down. Before you ask why, it's because he's the Leader of the Old Religion and if he died before passing on his powers then God knows what would happen."

Merlin was grimacing behind Arthur's back. He knew that Arthur was trying to stop the knights from killing him but he was just giving them more information that wouldn't do him any good in a trial. But then Merlin remembered that Uther was dead and he wasn't sure that Arthur even knew about it yet.

"I believe his heart is pure," Sir Bors suddenly said. Everyone stared at him. Merlin was particularly surprised because Bors had initially been against him leading them to Brocéliande.

"He's shown that he can be trusted and that he is as honourable as any of us can hope to be. We would all be dead if he wished us any harm."

"But what if he's put us all under an enchantment?" Ywain muttered.

"I have never told anybody this because Uther would probably have never let me join the knights," Bors explained. "My mother was a High Priestess of the Old Religion many years ago and she was killed near the end of the Great Purge. When I was young, she told me many times about the Leader of the Old Religion and when the Purge began she told me the legends of Emrys, who would protect the Once and Future King of Camelot. I myself never learnt magic because I never had the ability and my father disapproved of it; and that is why he denied having ever known her once she had died. I was about seven or eight at the time."

The others listened as the knight told his story. They all felt sympathy for the man.

"What has this to do with Merlin?" Safir asked.

"My mother explained that, whereas the title of Leader of the Old Religion stayed in the family, the person had to have a pure soul that would not deliberately try to alter the course of fate in their favour, mainly for evil or sinful things. She also told me that Emrys would be the most powerful warlock in history and he and the Once and Future King would ensure a time of peace. According to her, this prophecy is centuries old."

Arthur and Merlin felt very uncomfortable as the knights looked at them in odd ways. That was when Safir walked up to Merlin and inspected him very closely. Then to Merlin's surprise, he clapped him on the shoulder, grinning.

"Safir?" Hoel asked, his eyebrows creasing into a frown.

"He still looks like the Merlin we all know, so what does it matter if he can use magic?" Safir laughed.

"Only that it breaks Uther's laws," Aglovale muttered, though he looked slightly uncertain about how he felt about the matter.

"Can I just say," Arthur said, "that if any of you even attempt to tell my father about Merlin then I will make their life a living hell."

At this, they all gave each other uncomfortable looks and a couple of them shifted their feet.

"What?" Arthur asked, looking at each of them in turn.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "There's something we need to tell you."


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sir Kay stared around Stonehenge as the night began to creep in around them. He, Sir Dagonet and Tor were sat around a small fire with Uther's covered body next to them. All three shivered as a gentle breeze started and managed to get underneath their armour.

"Do you think they've made it?" Tor asked, breaking the silence that had hung for the last few hours.

"They've been gone for about four days," Kay said. "Give it time. I think Merlin knew what he was doing."

"Why the boy, though?" Dagonet murmured. "I respect the king's wishes, as I hope we all do, but I can't help but wonder why he put the serving boy in charge of a group of Knights when we-"

"How can you say we are capable of finding Arthur when we would have no idea here to look? That boy is the only way we have to finding him and reuniting Camelot with her king before all hell breaks loose. I think we can put our faith in that Merlin and the others will rescue Arthur and bring him back."

"You're a fool if you believe that, Kay," Tor scolded. "It's five knights and a servant against Morgana, Morgause and possibly Vortigern and his lot."

"You all managed to fight off me and my men at Tintagel and break that enchantment. That shows that you're all up for the challenge. And the fact that Merlin survived that attack by the Howler proves he's made of sterner stuff."

"Why exactly are you and Safir so friendly towards the boy?"

"I think Safir mentioned something to me once," Dagonet muttered. "His parents died when he was young and he had no other family. His parent's servant raised him, although that doesn't quite explain why he's friendly with this servant. As for Kay...well..." The knight looked at Kay and raised his eyebrows.

"I find the boy to be rather intriguing," Kay said. "He doesn't behave like a normal servant. He seems to be quite at ease when around Arthur and they treat each other like brothers."

"What!" Dagonet and Tor exclaimed.

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed. It's obvious that they are more than servant and master."

"Well that just proves how much we know," Dagonet said. "I don't think any of us noticed that."

"I bet Safir did though," Tor said.

Kay sighed and glanced at Uther's body.

"I bet the king wouldn't have been pleased if he'd ever found out about that. He'd say it wasn't ideal for the future king of Camelot to be making friends with servants."

There was the sudden sound of hooves approaching over grass. Jumping to his feet, Dagonet peered out of Stonehenge and saw the unmistakable shapes of six horses.

"It's them," he called. The other two ran up to him just as the others breached Stonehenge's perimeter.

Looking up, the three saw that Arthur and Merlin were sharing a horse and that the prince had a very sombre expression on his face.

"Where is he?" Arthur asked, his voice quiet.

Kay bit his lip and led Arthur to the body of his father, Merlin following. The prince knelt next to the deceased king and bowed his head. He then reached out to uncover his father. Kay was about to stop him when Merlin beat him to it.

"Arthur, I wouldn't," he whispered. "When I said he was mauled by a Wilddeoren, I mean...it wasn't very pleasant."

The prince let his hand fall to the ground and he lowered his head so that it was touching his father's body. Merlin had a hand on his shoulder, his face rigid. The knights were standing around them, bowing their heads respectfully at Uther and for a while they stood in silence, mourning the death of their king.

"I'm sorry Arthur," Merlin finally muttered. Arthur raised his head and tried to smile but it came as a grimace. Merlin noticed that his eyes were slightly watery.

The prince stood up and nodded at his servant before turning to the knights.

"I know that my father has just died," Arthur said, hoarsely, "and this would probably go against how he wished me to rule the kingdom...but the first thing I shall do after I have been officially crowned is lift the ban on magic."

Dagonet, Kay and Tor looked at him in amazement. Kay especially looked startled.

"Arthur, are you sure?" he said. "What about all those people who have tried to kill you? What about what happened to Morgana?"

"It is because of my father's laws that those people acted as they did, Morgana amongst them. I know that there are sorcerers unlike them, who seek only to use their gifts for good."

"Who exactly?"

Arthur turned his gaze to Merlin. The three knights looked at him to. Kay stared back at Arthur.

"Merlin? You can't be serious?"

"I'm a warlock," Merlin muttered.

"But... but..."

"Kay, if you have something to say then please speak your mind," Arthur said.

"Magic... I've never seen it used for good... How can you even believe... What if..."

"Merlin has proven himself so many times, Kay. Those who saw him save us in Brocéliande are with me, even if it was after much discussion."

"You did just say you were intrigued by the boy, Kay," Dagonet said, his voice calm. Kay stared at him in disbelief.

"I'll let you think about it," Arthur muttered. "Right now, we need to... return my father's body's to Camelot." He looked thoroughly miserable. Merlin felt a great amount of sympathy for him; he knew exactly what it was like to lose his father.

That was when the warlock remembered that Excalibur was still in its stone. He was about to mention it to Arthur when he heard the Voices.

"_Not yet Merlin_," they murmured on the gentle breeze. "_Excalibur's time will come but it is not yet_."

"_How long_?" Merlin thought.

"_You will know_."

Knowing that it would be best to heed the advice of the Voices, Merlin turned away and began to walk back up to the horses. Arthur was now sitting on his father's horse and he had taken it upon himself to bear his father's body back to Camelot.

As they set off, Merlin turned around and thought that he could see a mound of rock shifting, as if it were asleep. He also spotted the faint glimmer of the sword in the stone.

* * *

Gwen heard a frantic knock at her door. Rushing over, she opened it to find Freya gasping in the doorway.

"Freya?" Gwen immediately led her to a chair. "You shouldn't be rushing around in your condition. You could hurt yourself and the baby." Gwen went over to a bucket, in which she had some clean water. Dipping a small cup into the liquid, she handed it to Freya, who drank it thankfully.

"I just... thought you ought to know... Merlin and the others... have just been spotted... in the forest... Arthur is with them..."

Gwen stared at her for a moment before a wide smile appeared on her face.

"He's back? They found him?"

Freya nodded and stood up.

"Are you coming? I'm sure he'll want to see you."

Gwen didn't reply but instead pulled her cloak on and the pair left and walked as quickly as they could up the main street into the courtyard.

They were met by a grim atmosphere as practically all of Camelot's occupants, who were gathered in the area, had their heads bowed and there was dead silence. Pushing their way through the dense crowd, Gwen and Freya found themselves facing a scene with Arthur standing at the foot of the stairs with a something covered by a long cloak at his feet.

"What's happened?" Freya asked somebody who was standing next to her.

"The king is dead," came the reply.

Freya stood there in shock for a few moments before turning her gaze back to the cloak at Arthur's feet. Was Uther really dead? Were she and Merlin free, along with everybody else who had magic?

She then spotted Merlin coming down the stairs to stand beside Arthur, as Gaius followed, bending over Uther's covered body. The entire crowd watched as the elderly physician lifted the cloak away from the king's face, but only so that the crowd couldn't see. However, there was no denying the pale pallor his face developed and everyone saw him swallow hard.

Gaius lowered the cloak again and nodded his head. The silence enveloped them all in a deathly cold grip.

* * *

Gaius and Freya stared with horrified expressions at Merlin, who had just finished explaining what had happened with Stonehenge, the Wilddeoren and Brocéliande.

"Oh my God," was all Freya could say as the horrors sank in. "A doppelganger? They've created a doppelganger?"

Merlin gave her a puzzled look.

"A doppelganger is a person who looks exactly like another, whether through blood or not. The way you described the ritual sounds as if they've created the latter- someone who shares blood with you."

"Does it really matter if Llyr is a doppelganger?"

"Of course it doesn't... it's just... well, there hasn't been a record of a doppelganger for who knows how long. What's even more worrying is that they want to raise him evil. Llyr is only a baby after all."

"And this is going to be hanging over me for the rest of my life," Merlin muttered. "I could have saved him, Freya, but I let Nimueh take him. She may be his mother but if I had got him I would have done everything in my power to keep him away from her."

"Merlin, we'll get him back," Freya said in a comforting tone. "He's your son."

Merlin heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, irritably.

"We should also be thankful that Vortigern's sorcerers couldn't complete that spell," Gaius remarked, "otherwise they would have you and your son as well as Arthur."

"Speaking of which, how is he?" Freya asked.

"Not good," Merlin replied. "I think he's trying his best to bottle it all up but he's failing. He's locked himself in his chambers. I can tell he blames himself because Uther died whilst trying to save him from Morgana."

"You should speak to him, help him. I know this isn't a good thing, but you know how he feels, so he should welcome your advice."

"I need to give him time. He only found out his father died last night."

The warlock stared out of the window to see the sun sinking slowly over the distant horizon, sending an orange and shadowy glow over the city. It was meant to be calming scenery but they all felt far from it. The depressing and dark aura filtered its way through the walls, ceilings and floors, filling the three with the sense of hopelessness that resounded throughout Camelot. The outside climate seemed to mock them all. Merlin himself wished that it would rain.

"Are you sure you should have left Excalibur at Stonehenge?" Gaius asked his ward, trying to take their minds off the emotions that consumed them.

"I'm sure that it was Ma'ab's voice, amongst others," Merlin muttered. "If she knows that Arthur should not have removed it then I cannot question her judgement. What will be, will be. Now I just need to figure out what the other vision I had in the Crystal Cave mean. The Wilddeoren, Excalibur in the stone, me in the cave and me also being buried in Brocéliande have all happened."

"What else was it that you saw?"

"Arthur in his room and... a cliff face somewhere I don't recognise, which might have some significance but I can't think of anything which includes it. Kilgharrah was also breathing fire in the countryside and it was winter."

Merlin suddenly realised a daunting truth, which may or may not be possible.

"Vortigern will attack during the winter."

"That can't be possible," Gaius said, shaking his head. "Nobody would be mad enough to take their chances at invasion during the winter months."

"Vortigern would. None of us would suspect it because we all think it's madness. He'll know this, so he'll play it to his advantage."

Gaius pondered this.

"Merlin, though I do sometimes think that your skills with strategy and a matter of other things have little left to be desired, I do think you have a point."

"How deep was the snow in the vision?" Freya asked, her eyebrows creasing in thought.

"Quite deep," Merlin said, trying to recall the vision. "It can't be far off; winter has already begun even if there hasn't been any snow yet."

"Arthur needs to be told," Gaius said. "He'll need to prepare the citadel."

"It doesn't happen at the citadel."

"Sorry?"

"The battle is going to take place at the river."

"You cannot be serious."

"Kilgharrah was by a river. My guess is that's where it's all going to happen."

"This is mad." Gaius turned away and shook his head. "It's suicidal fighting in winter, let alone right next to a river."

"No, it won't be suicidal," Freya cut in. "I can control the river so that none of Arthur's men fall under the ice."

"You'd need to be there," Merlin said, suddenly startled, "and there is no way you can go there. Morgana and Morgause might kill you, or worse, keep you alive until you have the baby then kill you. That's one of a million things that could happen to you."

Freya was about to say something but never got around to saying it because of the sudden knock on the door. They turned around to see Safir hurry in.

"What's happened?" Merlin asked, jumping to his feet. Safir's expression did not convey good news.

"Arthur won't let us in. He's locked both doors and nobody can get him to open them. The maid, Gwen, is trying to talk to him at the moment but he won't respond."

"That's radical behaviour; nothing to be concerned about," Gaius explained.

"That's what we though until we realised that the king's sword was missing and Bors swore that he heard a gasp of pain coming from the room."

Freya and Merlin exchanged a look before turning their gazes to Gaius. Now they were worried. Arthur wasn't the type for suicide, but what if his father's death and the guilt that had ensued broken him? That wasn't a risk any of them were prepared to take.

"I'll be back," Merlin told Freya and Gaius, running out of the room with Safir.

"Is Bors sure he heard a gasp?" Merlin gasped as they ran.

"He swore on it and I've never known Bors to be one for telling lies at times like this. Only he, Geraint, myself and Aglovale know about it because neither me, Aglovale or Bors wanted any of the others involved as they may think that you and magic have something to do with it and we don't know how to react to that. Geraint doesn't know about your magic anyway, but it depends on what they all feel. Kay seems to be the only one who's still not too keen on the idea of magic, though I can't be sure about that. Understandable, really, because of what happened to his mother. Mind you, Hoel isn't really happy either. He's a good man but he does tend to have a stick shoved... well, you know."

The two soon arrived outside of Arthur's chambers to find Gwen, Geraint and Aglovale outside the door, calling into the room repeatedly.

"Still no reply?" Safir panted as he and the warlock came to a halt.

"It's far too quiet," Geraint said, standing away from the door.

"Let me try," Merlin muttered. "If it's just me and possibly Gwen, he may listen and let us in."

"I don't know," Geraint said, giving Merlin a slightly suspicious look.

"Geraint, there are too many of us out here as it is," Aglovale told the knight. "It's not so suspicious servants being outside here but if anyone sees us knights then they'll start to think that something's wrong and the last thing we want is rumours circling around that the new king has lost it."

The other knight had to admit that he had a point.

"Alright, you two," Geraint said, looking at both Gwen and Arthur. "We'll be back to see if you've managed to get him to at least unlock the door at the next toll of the bell. If not, then it looks as if we'll have to bust it open. We can't just leave him without knowing he's alright."

Merlin and Gwen nodded, guessing the weight of the situation. The knights left.

"Are you alright?" Gwen asked.

"I'm okay, just."

"What exactly happened?"

"I'll tell you more about it later. Right now, I think we should be trying to persuade Arthur to come out before the knights come back with a battering ram."

Gwen grimaced at his words just as Merlin knocked on Arthur's door.

"Arthur, it's me," Merlin called.

No reply.

"Arthur, believe me, I know what it's like to lose a parent but shutting yourself away from everyone isn't going to help you with your grief. Your father was important to you, I understand that, but he wouldn't want you to overwhelm yourself when Camelot needs you. We need you, Arthur. Morgana, Morgause and Vortigern are still out there and now Nimueh's helping them. If we don't know that you're alright, we can't help you fight...so, please, can you let me in. I know that you know that Gwen's out here, trying to make you come out as well. I know how you feel for her but you can't shut her out. She can help. We both can."

Gwen had to admit that if she was Arthur, she would have listened to what Merlin had just said. The warlock knew what to say because of what both he and Arthur had been through and because of their bond.

To their delight, the door creaked open but not enough for them actually see Arthur.

"Just Merlin," they heard Arthur grunt. Gwen looked disappointed but Merlin nodded at her, letting her know that it was going to be alright. So the maid settled for watching Merlin entered, though she couldn't see Arthur.

Merlin turned as the door closed to see Arthur walking back to his bed and sitting himself down and rubbing his face.

The curtains were closed and only a single candle was lit, casting a dim glow over the room and making Arthur's face look incredibly pinched.

"Arthur, please don't do this," Merlin said, pulling up a chair in front of the prince.

"I've just lost my father; I'm not exactly going to be skipping around with joy," Arthur snarled under his breath.

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Merlin's expression was soft and concerned, but Arthur's was cold and harsh. He then noticed the blood falling from Arthur's hand.

"Arthur?" Merlin made to examine the hand, but Arthur withdrew it.

"It's only a scratch. I was holding my father's sword."

"You should let me have a look at that."

"I'll live."

Silence.

"You haven't told me what happened in the cave," the prince mumbled. "I need to know."

Merlin sighed.

"Your father and I fell through a hole in the ground in this cave we were staying in. The Wilddeoren came out of nowhere and went straight for me. Before I could do anything, the king attacked it and it turned on him instead. I used magic."

"You what?" The Arthur that Merlin was used to suddenly appeared from behind the ghostly statue but he soon disappeared from Merlin's sight.

"I had to kill it before it could tear him apart."

"I'm surprised he didn't tell the knights about you."

"He didn't because I told him about everything, right from the beginning. I told him about Morgana, Kilgharrah and Vortigern and even Ma'ab."

"Why didn't you save him?"

"Arthur, I swear on my life that I wanted to, but he refused to let me. He was adamant about magic not being used on him, even though he admitted that he might have been wrong to prosecute anybody who used magic."

"And why would that have been?"

Merlin went silent and looked on as Arthur stood up and paced.

"Remember what Morgause said in Brocéliande? She said that she hadn't been lying about my father sacrificing my mother's life to have a son. What you have just said about him being wrong supports her claim."

The warlock now felt wary. Arthur was treading in very dangerous territory and Merlin wasn't sure how to pull him away.

"Merlin, I want the truth. All those months ago when you stopped me from killing my father after we went to see Morgause...were you lying about it being an illusion?"

Merlin gulped and had to draw several breaths. He could tell that Arthur already knew the answer.

"I was."

Arthur let out a hiss of breath and turned away.

"But Arthur, it wasn't the entire truth. Your father would never have hurt your mother, you have to believe that. They both decided to have you because of an accident your mother had had."

"And what accident was this?" Arthur spat.

"I... I don't know."

"So you have no idea if he was lying." Arthur was now livid and Merlin could clearly see the anger in his eyes as the prince turned back to face him. "_You_ lied to me. How can I trust you, if you lie to me?"

"Arthur, if you had killed your father, Camelot would have been torn apart," Merlin answered back, his voice rising in volume. "You would have regretted it for the rest of your life and it would have destroyed you."

But Arthur had only heard the first part.

"So you only care about Camelot? Or is that just because you want magic to be allowed in the land so that you won't have to hide anymore, never mind what happens to the rest of us."

"You know that's not true."

Arthur was now beyond reasoning.

"Get out! Because of all of your lying and deceit and treachery, I banish you from this kingdom!"

* * *

_Oops! What will happen now. Keep and eye on this to find out. Please review- it is helpful. Thanks for reading._

_MerlinStar  
_


	18. Chapter 17

_I'm so sorry that I haven't updated anything in ages! You'd think you'd have less work nearer to the holidays, but no! UCAS had temporarily taken over my life, but now I'm free to write and update some more. Thank you for being patient with me._

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Merlin stared at Arthur in disbelief.

"Arthur?" he said, meekly.

"Get out of this kingdom now, before I kill you myself."

Merlin couldn't think of anything to say. He could tell that Arthur meant what he had said, but he was shocked at how quickly his master had turned on him. He numbly turned away from Arthur and walked out of the back door, unwilling to talk to Gwen. He realised that he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her as well as Gaius, Freya and even Safir. The warlock wasn't angry with Arthur, in fact he understood why he had done this, but it had been entirely unexpected.

Arthur stared after his friend as he left but now he wasn't too sure about his actions. Part of him wanted to run after Merlin and apologise and tell him that he was a prat and that he hadn't meant any of it. However, the other part of him felt that this was necessary. Merlin had lied to him. He had proved it before, but that had been for Arthur's protection. Now he wondered what had motivated Merlin for the last few years.

He stood there for a long time, indecisive, until he was pretty sure that Merlin would have left the city by now. The part that had been influenced by his father had won.

There was a sudden shout from outside and he heard Gwen's voice answer it in a pleading voice. But there was more shouting and Arthur's door suddenly burst open and he stared as Freya stormed into the room.

Freya's face was masked with fury but that wasn't what surprised Arthur the most. Her eyes were a burning gold colour, just like Merlin's were when he used magic, but the colour seemed to not want to revert back to their dark brown. The girl also seemed to be to terrifyingly beautiful to comprehend and her presence sent shivers down Arthur's spine. This wasn't the Freya that he knew, the gentle and timid girl that Merlin loved.

"What have you done?" she shrieked at Arthur. "Are you so stupid that you are exactly like your father?"

"Freya, stop," Gwen said, trying to place a hand on her shoulder, but Freya shook it off.

"You think that Merlin has done all of this just so that he wouldn't have to hide anymore?" she continued. "He's done this so that we all won't have to hide anymore and, in case it escaped your notice, he cares about what happens to you. He's the most unselfish person you could ever meet and you've just gone and thrown him away as if he's worthless."

"What?" Gwen whispered, her face falling.

"He banished Merlin because he lied to keep him safe, but, oh no, he won't listen."

"Arthur?"

The prince felt ashamed of himself as he looked into Gwen's eyes. His insides froze as he saw their apprehensive expression.

"Do you have any idea what repercussions this could have for everybody?" Freya cried, maintaining her high pitched yelling. "The only one who's been uncaring is you because you didn't stop to think how this could affect your friend as well as the entire world. You may have just condemned my father and the entire kingdom."

"Your father?" Arthur asked, frowning.

At that moment, Freya's eyes change back to their original colour but they slipped closed as she appeared to faint and fell towards the floor. Arthur ran at her but was beaten to it by Gwen, who lowered her to the floor.

"But Merlin isn't her..." Gwen muttered. "Oh my God!"

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I think that Freya was just possessed by her baby, and the baby somehow knew about what you'd said to Merlin."

Arthur was surprised to see that Gwen was giving him eye contact and that she wasn't sounding cold towards him. He was glad that she wasn't shouting...yet.

"I'll carry her," Arthur muttered. "She needs Gaius."

Gwen nodded and Arthur scooped the pregnant girl into his arms and rushed towards the physician's chambers. However, along the way, they were met by Safir.

"Arthur, thank God," he cried. That was when he spotted Freya. "Jeez, is she alright?"

"Safir, I need you to take Freya back to Gaius. She collapsed in my chambers; Gwen will explain. I need to see to other matters."

The prince handed Freya to a stunned Safir and ran off. He didn't look back.

"Okay, what's happened? Arthur is never this sheepish."

"He and Merlin had an argument," Gwen explained.

"Sorry, wait a second, you're Gwen aren't you? I remember you from when Kay was under Morgana's spell."

"Yes."

"Well, nice to meet you properly Gwen. I'd shake your hand but...well, Merlin's friend is slightly heavy."

"She's pregnant."

Safir looked down and his eyes widened.

"Is Merlin..."

Gwen nodded, smiling. Safir laughed.

"Good for him. Right you were saying about Merlin and Arthur."

"Well, I didn't catch what was said but there was a lot of shouting and then Freya comes storming up and she seems to know about what the two were arguing about."

"Let me guess, she has magic like Merlin does."

Gwen's expression turned to one of bewilderment.

"He sort of gave himself away in Brocéliande," Safir explained. "Most of us are okay with it apart from Kay and Hoel, though Geraint hasn't been told yet. It's only a matter of time before he finds out. So did she say what the two had said?"

"Arthur banished Merlin from the kingdom."

Safir drew to a halt and his face turned red with fury.

"He what?" he said in a dangerously low voice. "Bors explained to us how important Merlin is and I know that Arthur knows that to, so what is he playing at?"

"He's just lost his father...but there's something else. He was mad at Merlin for not telling him something."

"It had better be good. I'm not happy about this, so Gaius definitely isn't going to be. Did you see Merlin leave?"

"I think he left out of Arthur's back door."

"Right, after I've helped you here, I'm going to try and find Merlin before he disappears off the face of the earth or something like that. You'll have to explain to Gaius though; I don't think I'll be able to do it without losing my temper."

"Sir Safir-"

"Just Safir, please, I really don't think titles are important."

"Safir, do you count Merlin as a friend?"

"Of course, and I hope he counts me as one of his. He saved my life and Arthur's, for crying out loud. Besides that, he's one of the kindest people I've had the fortune to meet, which is all the more reason for Arthur not to have done it. I can tell that they care for each other more than master and servant."

"You're one of the few."

By now they had reached Gaius' chambers and they knocked before rushing in. The old man was at his bench and when he saw Freya in Safir's arms, he hurried over and felt her brow.

"Please don't tell me she's been doing something she shouldn't have been," he muttered, looking up at Gwen.

"Arthur and I... I don't know how this is possible Gaius," Gwen said, "but we think that she was possessed by the baby."

"Possessed!" Safir exclaimed as Gaius' eyebrows rose.

"Where's Merlin?" Gaius asked, looking through the still open door. "He wouldn't want to leave her if she was like this."

Gwen and Safir exchanged a look.

"Has something happened?" Gaius queried.

"Gaius, Arthur was really mad. Merlin told him something that almost threw him to the edge... Arthur's banished him from the kingdom."

"No, that can't be."

"Gaius, I'm afraid he has."

"Do you have any idea what Merlin told Arthur?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't."

Gaius sighed and turned back to the unconscious girl that Safir had placed on his bed.

"I need to go," Safir muttered. "Someone needs to find Merlin before he can't be found. I hope she's alright."

"Thank you, Safir," Gwen said. The knight nodded at the pair of them and vanished from view.

"Did she faint after the spell ended?" Gaius asked, examining Freya.

"Yes," Gwen replied. "Gaius, do you have any idea why Arthur would do something like this?"

"I don't know Gwen. The only way we'll know is when Freya wakes up or Arthur comes back with some explanation. And hopefully we'll be able to stop Merlin before none of us ever see him again. I can imagine that Freya would go after him, even in her condition. She loves him too much to lose him again."

"Do they really love each other? I mean, it's lovely that they have each other and that they feel that way, but I've never heard them admit it to each other or to themselves."

"I believe so Gwen, but the only people who can be sure about their emotions are Freya and Merlin."

The pair looked back at Freya, who seemed oddly peaceful, unaware of what had happened.

* * *

"Merlin!" Safir called, plodding deeper into the forest. "Come on, Merlin! Where are you? I know you; you won't have left because of how important it is to you that you don't let Arthur die."

There came no reply apart from the shrill wind that whistled through the branches of the dark trees surrounding him.

Safir could only just see the moon through the canopy above him but it didn't bother him so much as he brought a torch with him that lit the immediate area around him. However, the thick trees disconcerted him because he couldn't see if there was anything in them. Merlin could be hiding in a tree for all he knew, or there might be something dark and evil lurking amongst the boughs that merged together above him.

Somebody suddenly called out and Safir turned in the direction he had heard it. That was when he spotted another light. Quickly dropping his and extinguishing it in the grass, the knight gripped his sword even tighter and headed towards the other glowing light. Creeping through the undergrowth, Safir saw that it was a lone figure. He leapt out of the bushes in front of the stranger and held them at sword point. He then recognised the stranger.

"Arthur?"

Arthur was looking incredibly haggard and a complete mess. Leaves were sticking out of his hair and a long cut stretched across one of his cheeks.

"Gods, what have you been doing?" Safir asked. Despite his resentment towards Arthur for banishing Merlin, he had to pity the prince because of his expression, which Safir couldn't put a word to.

"I did something stupid," the prince muttered.

"If you mean banishing Merlin from Camelot then, yes Sire, I completely agree with you." Safir knew he was being rude but he could tell that Arthur wasn't entirely bothered about that at the moment. "Arthur, I know you've just lost your father but you shouldn't take your anger out on people like Merlin; he's there to help you and it's no good pushing him away. His friend, Gwen, said that he told you something and you lost it, but I'm not entirely sure that something like that would warrant you banishing your friend, and before you say anything, I've noticed that the pair of you may not want to admit it but you are a lot closer than a prince and servant. What exactly did he tell you?"

Arthur did not feel as if he wanted to tell Safir the truth about why his father had hated magic so much. That was something that he wanted to keep to himself until he had all of the facts.

"Have you ever believed something so much for you entire life, only to find out that it's a lie?"

"I can't say I have. Please don't tell me this is about Merlin's magic."

"No, but it is about magic."

"Well then, I'm sorry, Sire, but there was no cause for doing something as drastic as banishing someone who's been faithful to you since the beginning, particularly in the most recent climate. He's the only one of us who has more than a hope of standing against Morgana and Vortigern and whoever else it was in that clearing in Brocéliande. And if he's only just told you something then it was to protect you. He does care about what happens to you, Arthur."

"And I threw him away. I've been searching on my own since I left you with Gwen and Freya; he's probably long gone."

"Well I think I can think of a way we'll find him."

"I'm sorry?"

"Alright, I know I'm new to the whole prospect of magic and everything, but if Gwen was correct in saying... wait, did she tell you?"

"That Freya was possessed by the baby? Yes, she did share that theory."

"Well, the baby sensed what was happening to Merlin to cause that reaction, which may mean we could be able to coax Freya to tap into the baby's abilities and find out where he's gone."

"Is Freya alright? Merlin would never forgive me if something happened to her because of me, again."

"I left before Gaius had finished examining her. I hope she's okay; otherwise we _would _have an irate Merlin to deal with as well as all of our other problems. Might I suggest that we head back before Geraint orders a search party to look for you."

Arthur nodded and the pair turned back towards the direction of the city.

"I'm glad you joined the knights," Arthur admitted.

"So am I, otherwise you would have been running around looking for Merlin all night long. Then we'd be in a tight spot."

* * *

Arthur walked into Gaius' chambers warily as he had no idea as to how the physician would react to him being there. He wasn't surprised to see the old man give him a piercing stare.

"How is she?" Arthur muttered, turning his gaze towards the door to Merlin's room, through which he guessed Freya was.

"She'll be alright," Gaius said in a far gentler tone than Arthur thought was warranted. "Gwen is with her. I'm not sure if she was aware of what the baby did but we'll find out soon. Might I ask where you've been, sire?"

Arthur ran a hand distractedly through his hair.

"I was trying to find Merlin in the forest."

"He would have been gone even before you'd started to look for him."

"I still wanted to be sure. Safir found me and he brought me back."

"Arthur..." Arthur was somewhat glad that Gaius wasn't being hostile towards him but that just made his guilt increase. "Arthur did he tell you about what happened with your parents?"

"How did you know?"

"Your reaction to this was quite close to that of what you nearly did to your father after you went to see Morgause, though I'm thankful to see that you didn't hold Merlin at sword point."

"I threatened to kill him if he didn't leave at that moment, Gaius." Arthur hung his head in humiliation as he admitted this, partly to avoid the physician's expression.

Gaius had nothing to say to that, which did not make things easier.

"I'm going to break on oath I swore to your father, Arthur, for which I hope I can be forgiven, for I fear that if you don't know then you cannot do what needs to be done, which includes finding Merlin." Arthur raised his head to give Gaius eye contact once more. "And when I say an oath, I mean three because it affects Morgana as well... Before Uther, your mother was married to another man."

As Gaius had expected, Arthur's face widened with horror at this. The old man motioned for the prince to take a seat, and the latter did so, gratefully.

"But when she and your father met, they fell in love immediately but because of her marriage, they could not be together. However, that was before the man your mother had married was involved in a battle, and your father, seeing his chance to claim his love, did not send more soldiers to help."

"But that sounds exactly like what happened to... Oh God! Morgana is my half sister!"

"I'm afraid so. Your mother had previously been married to Gorlois."

"But then how does that make Morgana and Morgause sisters if my mother is Morgana's and Nimueh is Morgause's."

"In some magical communities, it is not frowned upon if you are not married and have a child. Children who can learn about magic are a blessing to all magical folk, especially the Druids."

"And what has this got to do with Morgause?"

"Nimueh was one of the High Priestesses who were desperate to have a child and raise it according to the Old Religion. Gorlois had long been her friend, just as your father had been-"

"My father was friends with Nimueh?"

"Before he threw her from the court and started to seek vengeance, yes. Anyway, she soon became pregnant and she had Morgause." Gaius watched Arthur's expression carefully as he digested this information.

"I have another question; if my mother had Morgana, then why did they need to use magic to have me?"

"When Morgana was born, there was a problem. Her position was wrong and the cord was strangling her in the womb and Ygraine made me use any method I could to make sure the baby lived. Morgana survived but your mother was unable to conceive naturally after that. She was so distressed when she realised that she wouldn't be able to give Uther the heir that they both wanted."

"But my father knows this, so why... why has he hunted down anyone with magic?"

"I think you'll agree with me when I say grief makes us do the most irrational things at times. Your father had lost the woman he loved and he blamed magic for taking her away from him."

"It's still so wrong. He had no right to kill everyone with magic just because of this. It wasn't right. Nobody deserved that... and I believed him... and I helped him track down sorcerers to be executed."

"You cannot blame yourself for your father's misjudgement."

"Misjudgement? It was slaughter. I've already told Merlin this, though I admit I momentarily changed my mind when I lost my temper with him, but I'm going to lift the ban on magic. If Merlin and Freya don't use their magic for evil then there must be hundreds more who don't either."

"I'm not sure if that would be too popular with Sir Kay."

"Then I'm afraid that that is his problem. He may be, now I know it, my cousin, but at the end of the day this will benefit everyone."

Arthur looked back at the other door.

"If you don't mind, I would like to go and sit with Gwen and Freya."

"Of course." Gaius made a small bow and Arthur walked into Merlin's room to find Gwen sitting at Freya's bedside.

"Are you alright, Arthur?" the maid asked, standing up immediately.

"How can you look at me after what I did?"

"Arthur, I know you didn't mean what you said to Merlin. I wouldn't look at you any differently. You're still the same person."

Gwen went over and wrapped her arms around his waist. Arthur hesitated in case she decided to draw away until he finally did the same.

"Did you have any luck finding him?" Arthur frowned and she saw this. "It would explain why you look as if you've been dragged through a bush." She laughed as he rolled his eyes upwards towards his mussed up hair.

"Neither me or Safir saw him. He must have used his magic to run off somewhere."

"We'll find him."

"Hopefully before Vortigern gets wind of it. He'd send half an army to find Merlin."

"But he doesn't know Merlin like we do."

"He might not but I can't think of anywhere outside of the kingdom that he would go. He might go back to Ealdor but I don't reckon he would- too many painful memories... Safir has a theory though. He thinks that because the baby sensed what had happened and possessed Freya, she might be able to tap into its connection with Merlin and find him."

"Or she could sense him herself, without the baby."

"How would that work?"

"Arthur, Merlin and Freya love each other deeply, there's no other way of putting it. Whenever I've seen them together, they seem to revolve around each other and seem to know what the other might need. I went to the market with them last month, and I've never seen a couple gathering supplies without some sort of list before. Merlin would guess what Freya needed and it was the same vice versa. And I've seen the way they look at each other; it's so deep that I felt I was about to fall in if I looked for too long."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that Freya might be able to sense where Merlin is herself. You could say it's the pull of love, as if they are the centre of each other's universe."

Arthur smiled softly.

"Do you think that we might have something like that?"

Gwen squeezed his hand.

"Definitely; we just haven't been around each other as much because of what your father would have done if he had found out."

Arthur turned his gaze to Freya.

"I don't even want to try and imagine what she'll feel when she finds out what I did, though she may know already."

"Arthur...what did happen? I mean, what caused you to lose control like that and throw your anger at Merlin?"

The prince sighed and led Gwen back to her chair. He then began to explain about what had transpired in his chambers and then he gave her a detailed account of what Gaius had told him. By the end of his explanation, Gwen was gobsmacked.

"Oh, Arthur... I can't believe... I'm so sorry."

"And I behaved as if it's Merlin's entire fault. Now I can see what he meant by keeping that to himself. I'm like my father all over again; I've turned my friend away because I tried to blame him and his magic."

"You are nothing like your father," Gwen said abruptly. "He did not live with his mistakes and he let that cloud his mind and shape how he ruled Camelot. You have proved so many times that you are so different, Arthur. You are far more compassionate and understanding of your own mistakes. It's human that we make mistakes and you are already learning from them. You are fit to be king because of this. A king must know when he is wrong and also listen to other's counsel. You have shown this and I couldn't love you any more than I do."

Arthur froze and looked at her.

"Did you just say..."

Gwen flushed furiously and hung her head.

"You said you love me," Arthur said, in an almost surprised tone. He laughed.

"I wouldn't have said it was funny," Gwen said, frowning.

Arthur dropped down to his knees and kissed her, feeling a rush of fire as her words repeated themselves in his head.

There was a small moan from the bed and the two broke apart and looked to see Freya sitting up.

"Oh God, Merlin," she whispered. "I know where he is."

* * *

"Does Vortigern have any idea that the castle might be there?" Gwen asked Gaius, as she packed a pack in the old man's chambers.

"If he did, he would have gone there to kill Ma'ab, so I think it is highly unlikely. It would be protected by the faeries as well."

Gwen finished filling her bag with provisions and looked at Merlin's open door, through which she could see the sleeping Freya.

"Don't you think it was too much to drug her?" she said, giving Gaius an unsure look.

"Merlin would never forgive any of us if anything happened to her and the baby."

Gwen then bit her lip.

"Is something bothering you Gwen?"

"It's just... Is it me or do Merlin and Freya appear to be...soul mates."

"It is quite possible, Merlin's grandparents _syntrofoi psychez_."

"Sorry?"

"It's the name given to the most powerful type of soul mates. Neither can survive without the other. I must say, it would explain Merlin going to see her every evening whilst she was in the lake, and why the very thought of her made him miserable before she came back."

"Wait, you just said that if they were...whatever it was you called it that they wouldn't be able to live without each other."

"Merlin is very good at hiding his emotions when he wants to. There were times when he missed dinner and went to bed the moment he came home, and then there were others when he would appear to be in a completely different place and he wouldn't snap out of it even if I tried to coax him. It became worse after Morgana and his father. Also I don't think that the bond had fully formed when they first met- they were only together for a few days before Arthur killed her."

There was a brief silence as Gwen took all of this in.

"Do you think she'll have to go back once the baby is born?"

"I'm afraid to say that it is more than likely."

Gwen's eyes saddened at the thought of her two friends being separated. It had been so natural to see Merlin with Freya other the last few months and Gwen couldn't imagine them apart.

"Well hopefully fate will be kinder."

There was a knock at the door and Arthur walked in, carrying his own pack.

"Are you sure I can't stop you from coming?" he said to Gwen.

"No, someone else needs to go to make sure that both of you don't get into trouble."

"I don't get into trouble."

"Name one time when you've gone to rescue Merlin and you haven't got into some sort of situation. Arthur, I think we should be thankful that I'm going and not Freya. Besides, I did help you rescue those children from the cathedral, didn't I?"

Arthur did not feel like arguing. Gwen's revelation had now made it impossible for him to argue with her, though it also gave him reason to do so to protect her. And at any rate, they needed to find Merlin and quickly.

"We should be back in a few days Gaius," Arthur said.

"Be careful," Gaius said. "Vortigern may have placed lookouts throughout the kingdom."

Arthur acknowledged this parting piece of information and he and Gwen left.

Gaius returned to Gwen's vigil of looking over Freya as she slept. Every so often, her brow would furrow.

"Merlin," she sighed at one point.

* * *

The two horses were spurred by their riders and the countryside flew behind them as they galloped onwards. Morning became afternoon and afternoon became evening, and even as the sun slipped behind the distant hills, Gwen and Arthur continued to ride, desperate to reach their destination.

A while after complete darkness had fallen, the slowed their horses down to a gentle trot to give the creatures time to regain some of their strength before they made one last push towards the Mountains of Engred.

"What if he's left since last night?" Arthur muttered, voicing a concern he had been thinking for quite some time.

"From what Freya was saying, he's not about to move anywhere."

"He hasn't-"

"No, I think he's just pondering on how he feels, but it depends on how we find him when we reach the castle. What's in there, exactly?"

"A lot of rubble, some empty dungeons, a tree, a stream and an altar. It's a complete ruin that could crumble at any moment if you ask-"

Arthur suddenly went silent and stared around at the darkness.

"What is it?" Gwen whispered.

"There's someone following us," Arthur replied, making for his sword. "Listen."

Sure enough, as Gwen listened, she heard the unmistakable sounds of approaching hooves and they were drawing closer.

"Vortigern," Arthur hissed.

That was when there was a whinnying noise and they heard someone swear rather loudly.

Gwen looked at Arthur. "That sounded like Sir Bors."

"It can't be."

The pair turned their horses back the way they had come and peered through the trees. Sure enough, though they were half covered by shadow, there was no mistaking the Knight of Camelot, who was not dressed in his knight's armour, just as Arthur wasn't. They could all pass as bandits, including Gwen.

"Bors, what are you doing here?" Arthur demanded, encouraging his horse to go up to the knight.

"Safir told us about what happened with Merlin," another voice said, "and we guessed that you'd go after him."

"Kay?" Of all the knights to come and help rescue Merlin, Kay was one of them since he was against the use of magic.

"Let's just say," Aglovale said, coming into view, "that Bors and I had a talk with Kay about the current predicament with you allowing magic back into the kingdom. I think he now knows that your servant does not mean any harm. We would have talked to Hoel as well but circumstances prevented us."

"I'd just seen you leave," Tor said, walking up from behind a tree, leading two horses, "so I went to find someone and these three were the first. I left a note for the others. Safir will probably be doing his nut in, and so will Geraint for that matter." He handed Bors back the reins of his horse and the other knight burned with embarrassment.

"Why did you all come? We've got this handled," Arthur said.

"Well, Bors was adamant about coming because of the prophecy his mother told him," Kay explained. "Aglovale seems to want to help find the boy because he's generally concerned and Tor doesn't want to see another king die before he's even had his coronation."

"And what about you Kay?"

"I... I still don't really like magic, but I have to admit that my views do not affect what a good person I think Merlin is. Might I say, Arthur, that I still can't believe that you banished him after all he's done. He saved you from falling down those stairs with the Howler, for crying out loud."

"I've realised my mistakes, and I hope that I can make amends before it's too late. If you insist on coming with us then we must leave now. The longer we wait increases the possibility of Vortigern finding Merlin before we do."

The three knights nodded and, once Bors was back on his horse, they continued into the night. Little did they know that, as they cleared the forest they had just been in, they were being observed by several shadowy figures on a distant hillside.

* * *

The group led their mounts through the last part of the forest that separated them from the ruined castle. They then made sure that they were safely secured to a number of thick branches.

As Arthur had predicted, the horses had become spooked the wave of magic that they had sensed, so they had had to resort to the same measures that Arthur had last time he had come here. However, the horses could still sense the powerful aura and sometimes whinnied in panic, though the knights were quick to comfort them.

Remembering how he had left the castle, as he had entered it through one of the tunnels to the dungeons, Arthur led them up to the hedge that surrounded the expanse of grass and was disgruntled to find that pushing his way through was even harder than before. The group then crept up to the huge door and clambered through the gaping hole.

"Are you sure Merlin will be here?" Kay asked. "I've never seen anywhere in more need of some masonry work."

"I think the whole idea was to leave it like this to put any strangers off," Arthur replied. "And it's sacred to the Old Religion, just like Stonehenge."

"Stonehenge is sacred to the Old Religion?" Aglovale echoed in an astonished voice. "That would explain why we felt uncomfortable when we camped there, we could feel the magic, even if we didn't know what it was."

"Must have been a lot of magic for us to feel it," Tor muttered.

Carefully climbing over the large parts of the ceiling that lay on the floor, the six of them soon found themselves in the practically empty corridor. Arthur then led them towards the room where he guessed Merlin would be.

Sure enough, as they entered through the large double doors and looked around the vast chamber, they saw a still form lying on its side on the stone altar at the foot of the tree. From the black hair, jacket and a tuft of the blue neckerchief, they knew it to be Merlin.

Arthur was ecstatic that they had found his friend, though the feeling of guilt increased. Would Merlin ever forgive him for what he had said and done? Would he want to come back to Camelot, if not for Arthur then for Freya, Gaius and Gwen and everybody else who needed him?

"Merlin?" Arthur called, walking slowly up to the warlock's form. There was no reply and Merlin remained as still as a stone. The prince guessed that he was asleep. Shaking his servant by the shoulder, Arthur was surprised that Merlin wasn't responding. That was when he spotted the blood on the stone altar.

* * *

_Uh oh! What's Merlin done now? I will update as soon as I can so that you can find out. Thank you for being patient with me._

_MerlinStar  
_


	19. Chapter 18

****_Hi everyone. I'm sooo sorry it's been a long time. It is the curse of a lot of work and writing three fanfics at once (not that I don't mind though it can cause writer's blick because of mixed plots). Hope you enjoy this and I will try to update something soon._

* * *

**Chapter 18**

"OH GOD! MERLIN!" Arthur yelled and rushed around to the other side of the altar, his insides churning as he feared the worst. He only just registered the others rush over.

Arthur stared at what had really happened and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Merlin was bleeding but it was only his hand. The boy was clutching a crystal and the blood covered it and the warlock's palm, the wound that must have let the blood spill had obviously healed, and also ran over onto the stone underneath him.

"Look at his eyes," Tor said in barely anything more than a whisper.

The prince turned his attention to his friend's face and did a double-take at what he saw. Merlin's eyes were wide open but were not the blue colour that they were all accustomed with. They weren't even gold. The warlock' eyes were stone grey, the colour consuming the iris and the pupil with the cloudy colour. His expression was vacant.

Leaning forwards, Arthur listened out for Merlin's breathing and was again relieved to hear the sigh of breath and feel the air brush against his ear.

"He's alive," he sighed. He looked up to see Gwen relax. They held each other's eyes for a few moments longer, letting their relief envelope each other.

"If he's alive then why are his eyes like that?" Kay muttered.

"I honestly have no idea," Arthur said. "And why he's bled on a crystal, I can only begin to guess."

"He wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for a good reason," Gwen murmured. "Is it me or does that crystal look like the one that Morgana stole for Alvarr?"

"I can't be. After that, the guard was tripled and only myself and my father were allowed down there, besides the men."

"Merlin would have been able to sneak into the vaults and take it," Bors conceded.

"Look, it doesn't matter if this is the Crystal of Neahtid or not," Arthur said before anyone could continue to pursue that subject. "The point is that we've found Merlin, so now all we need to do is get him back to Camelot."

"Oh, I don't think you are going anywhere, Pendragon," a cold voice called from the doorway.

The group span around and, to their horror, they saw Vortigern and Lamya, and behind them were at least fix or six men.

"Finally, we have the future king in our grasp once more," Vortigern sighed, pleasure in every syllable. "And Merlin has managed to incapacitate himself, obviously unaware of what may happen."

"Don't even think of taking him," Arthur growled, and as one he, the knights and Gwen drew their weapons.

"By now I'd have thought that you would know that it would take more than weapons to stop Lamya." The sorceress' mouth turned upwards into a wicked grin at Vortigern's words.

Arthur then felt a crushing weight coming down on his mind, overwhelming his thoughts with pain. From the cries he heard, this was happening to the others as well as him. Just before he lost consciousness, Arthur knew that Vortigern had won. He had failed Camelot, and he had failed Merlin.

* * *

Gwen groaned as she regained consciousness and scrunched her brow as her head began to ache from whatever had happened. Getting a hold on herself, the maid began to assess her situation. She was backed against something and her hands were tied behind her back and it felt as if manacles were encircling her ankles. She couldn't feel anything to suggest that she was gagged or blindfolded. Gwen flexed her muscles, which had seized up from the awkward position.

"Gwen?" she heard Arthur's voice whisper.

Opening her eyes, she found that she was in a small cell, the floor strewn with filthy hay. There was no light as there were no torches and there wasn't even a window. She craned her neck and saw Arthur's shoulder out of the corner of her eye.

"Arthur? Are you alright?"

"Apart from a slight headache, there's nothing much wrong with me. Are you feeling okay?"

"Practically the same. Where exactly are we?"

"At a guess, I'd say we're in the dungeons in Vortigern's Stronghold. They've put the others somewhere else. And I heard a couple of people passing say that Morgana, Morgause and Nimueh have been notified. We're all going to be executed at sunrise the day after tomorrow."

Gwen's spirits dropped even further through the floor.

"And is Merlin..."

"He's still in that trance as far as I'm aware, and I don't think he'll come out of it until it's far too late."

Gwen couldn't think of anything to say at this but allowed the feeling of impending doom envelope her as she realised that there may be no escape from this. Freya, Gaius, Safir and the others had no idea where they were and with Merlin currently in the state he was in, it would take nothing short of a miracle to save them. But Gwen had recently begun to believe that miracles were possible.

"If there's something I've learnt ever since finding out about Merlin," Gwen muttered, "is that everything happens for a reason and, no matter how bad things may look at the time, they always turn out for the better."

"I don't really think us being executed would exactly be for the better," Arthur said, though he smiled in agreement at her statement.

"I don't mean dying or anything like that. I know what your destiny is, Arthur, and I do not believe that it ends here."

Arthur swivelled around so that it was easier for them to see each other.

"Merlin, Freya and Gaius know it and countless people may have seen it," Gwen continued. "You were foreseen centuries ago and all of that and what you've achieved cannot count for nothing. I refuse to even consider the thought that you will die because of Vortigern."

Gwen stopped as she saw the look in Arthur's eyes, the blue full of a bright spark that opened his soul to her.

Arthur then leant forwards and pressed his lips against hers and Gwen felt the rush of passion course through both of them, as if this was their first kiss all over again. Gwen remembered those times with a thrill of reluctance. Back then it had been so much simpler. Back then they weren't constantly watching over their shoulders for any sign of Morgana and her new allies; and there hadn't been so much grief and loss.

When they finally broke apart, Gwen placed her head on Arthur's shoulder and he kissed her hair, gently.

"I promise, whatever it takes, we'll get out of here," the prince sighed.

"I know."

They sat in that exact position for a long time, relishing each other's company and hoping that something would intervene with their supposed fate.

What they couldn't have been aware of was that Lamya was standing right outside their cell and staring in at them through a magical portal that the couple were blind to. Having decided that she had seen enough, Lamya allowed the spell to end and walked back up the flights of stairs that led her out of the dungeons. She walked down the empty and dark corridors and up more stairs until she reached the door to a room on the other end of her master's Stronghold. Knocking, she entered after courteously waiting for a number of seconds.

She immediately saw a number of hooded figures standing around a large four poster bed on the other side of the rather spacious bedroom, all of them muttering a repetitive chant. Vortigern was facing the enormous window that looked out onto the forest of thorns and, beyond that, a small river with a lone tree wilting over it.

The chanting suddenly stopped and Lamya looked back to see her fellow sorcerers stand away from the bed, revealing the motionless form of Merlin, the boy responsible for her brother's death. His eyes were still grey and his features continued to show the same empty expression it had for the last day now. Lamya wondered if the boy would ever wake up, though that did not concern her too much. She loathed the warlock with all of her heart and wished him a painful death, though she knew how important he was to Vortigern's plans and she definitely wasn't about to go against his judgement. He had taken her and Sindri under his wing when no one else would.

She watched as one of the other sorcerers went over to Vortigern.

"Sire, I'm afraid we cannot break into his mind, it is impossible" he explained. "Even when he is this weakened state, it appears his mind still proves far too much for us to try and control him."

"And you have tried every possible way?" Vortigern said in a cold tone.

"My lord, there is no other way imaginable that we can try."

"Very well." He caught sight of Lamya. "Leave us."

Bowing, the other sorcerers left the room.

"It appears that the prince and the maid share something rather special," Lamya reported in an official manner. "Something that I think could be used against them."

"What the prince feels towards a servant girl is irrelevant, Lamya. We need Merlin to feel the true pain of losing those closest to him so that he will bend. Without him, Camelot will never truly be ours."

"It will when their future king is dead."

"That is very true, but what is a kingdom without the hearts of its people? It appears to me that the knights trust Merlin and that trust will be there undoing. Once the knights have been taken care of, Camelot will be easier to take than we could have ever dreamed."

"And what of the boy himself?"

"I know you do not like my nephew, Lamya, but are you ready to follow him? He was responsible for Sindri's death, I am aware of that, but Sindri betrayed us to the Pendragon's. We were lucky enough that they couldn't free the workforce before their work had been completed."

"Sire, if it is in your better judgement that I should follow him, then I will."

Vortigern actually smiled.

"I am sorry about your brother, Lamya; he was great asset."

"I no longer count him as my brother. He died when he decided to betray you."

Vortigern nodded.

Lamya then bowed and excused herself, leaving as quietly as she had come. Vortigern turned back to the bed were Merlin was lying and walked closer, studying the boy. He suddenly lunged out and grabbed the warlock by the hair.

"I know you can hear me, Merlin," he whispered. "You would have been a fool to make yourself completely oblivious to your surroundings, and, despite what some may think of you, you are not that dull-witted."

He laid the boy's head back down on the pillow and stood away, never letting his gaze leave Merlin's face.

"You and I are not so different, Merlin. We share blood and we've both lost people who are important to us; and we both want the same thing- magic being allowed back into Camelot so that those with that special gift do not have to live in fear. So why do you insist on fighting me? I know I killed your mother, my sister, but… I admit that I was wrong to do that." Vortigern felt a horrible curdling sensation in his stomach as he said the words. Why was he saying all of this so suddenly, and to a boy who seemed to hate him?

However, Merlin was no ordinary boy. As Vortigern had said only moments ago, they shared blood- they were family and family were honest to each other, or so Vortigern remembered being told. One of the only memories the man had of his mother was of him as a young boy sitting on a rug by a fireplace with her next to him on a chair, explaining about honesty, her dark hair glistening in the dim light.

"I'm surprised you don't look more like someone from your father's side of the family. As I recall, Evander resembled something close to a kindly bear. But maybe you look more like your mother because you already had your gifts. I can tell you look like your mother, I was there wasn't I. However, I doubt she would look quite like herself anymore." He turned his gaze towards the window. "There's a willow tree out there, by the river. My mother used to love it there, so- and I was surprised at my own sentiment- I had my sister buried underneath the tree, though it has been dead for years, ever since my mother passed."

Looking back, Vortigern saw that his nephew was still unchanged from his trance-like state.

"I too am hiding, just like you. You fear that you will be killed for who you are, just as I am. I have hidden from many over the last years and, like you, I want it to end. However, unlike you, I plan to make my own course instead of letting time tell all. Then again, that's possibly one reason why you were eligible for becoming the Leader of the Old Religion- oh yes, Morgause was kind enough to explain that to me. But you were also Ma'ab's only heir. I wonder what will happen when you do eventually die. Nimueh's doppelganger has no magical ability so he cannot become what you are when you are gone. If you are like me then you may not find someone and then the whole world would go to chaos, something I am aware of if your title is not passed on." He sat on a chair and leant back in it. "So that leaves you with a bit of a predicament. However, being my nephew makes you _my _heir and when Camelot is once more under my power... well, I think it's slightly obvious who will succeed me. I have never had a child."

Feeling suddenly disgusted with himself for being so open to someone, even if this person might not be able to hear him, Vortigern stood and left immediately. The guards outside the door turned their heads slightly but looked away as they watched Vortigern storm down the corridor and out of their sight.

* * *

Aglovale, Kay and Bors sat in their cell, in complete silence, brooding about what was yet to come, all extremely angry with themselves for being overcome by the sorceress' spell and failing to protect Arthur.

There was sudden light that shined through the gap under the door, momentarily blinding the three of them. Wondering if this was Lamya or one of the sorcerers coming to kill them, they tried to stand on their feet, a feat that was difficult because of their hands, which were bound behind their backs. They were not about to die whilst sitting on a prison floor.

"Uh, Freya, you could have warned me that I'd get a headache," someone moaned, loudly. The knights froze as they recognised Safir's voice.

"Sorry, but I don't think we would have arrived here in time before someone was killed," Freya's voice replied.

"Safir!" Aglovale called, hobbling towards the door.

There was silence on the other side of the door until the wood suddenly gave way and the three prisoners could see their friend and the girl.

"How did you find us?" Kay asked as Safir entered the cell to undo the ropes that bound their hands.

"Freya had another baby episode," Safir muttered.

"Which means?" Bors asked, looking towards where Freya stood, only to find that she had disappeared. "Where's she gone? She can't go off on her own in a place like this."

"She's gone to find Merlin," Safir replied, "leaving us to find Arthur and Gwen."

"We haven't the foggiest idea where they are," Aglovale said, "and I don't fancy our chances because we don't even have our swords anymore, which wouldn't help against Vortigern's men."

"Lucky for you, I brought extra weapons." Safir handed them a sword each from inside a roll of cloth he was holding.

Leaving the cell, the knights began to make their way through the levels of the dungeon, peering through every door they came across. They were surprised to see that every single one of them seemed to be empty, considering how many prisoners Vortigern was known to take on a weekly basis. It was only when they reached the bottom level that they came across their first locked door.

"Stand back," Bors said and ran at the door. He bounced off it a number of times, but, after a number of attempts, the knight disappeared through a hole he had created in the wood.

"Bors?" Kay called inside. "Are Arthur and Gwen in here?"

"Who else?" he heard Arthur's voice call back. "How did you escape?"

"Safir and the girl came after us."

"Girl?" a feminine voice asked, and Kay knew it to be Gwen's.

"Freya."

He heard an intake of breath from both of them and they soon appeared with a slightly stunned Bors, who had untied their hands.

"She's as bad as Merlin," Arthur muttered. "She's risking herself and she's not exactly in the right sort of state to be rescuing someone."

"What do you mean?" Aglovale asked.

"She's pregnant... with Merlin's child."

The faces of the recently imprisoned knights stretched with surprise. They were utterly speechless.

"Vortigern must have Merlin somewhere else in the castle, so we'll have to be careful," Arthur said, filling the silence. "Freya will need help getting him out of there."

"I thought Merlin was more than capable to protect himself with his magic," Safir said, frowning.

"Merlin put himself in a trance."

"What?"

"Which is exactly why we need to find him before Vortigern's sorcerers manage to break into his mind and control him. The last thing any of us need is Merlin being controlled by people like Vortigern."

Safir gave two more swords to Gwen and Arthur and the group set off up the stairs that led out of the dungeons. Keeping a wary eye out for any of Vortigern's men or even one of the sorcerers, they were all relieved to find themselves at the top of the staircase without any incident. Arthur pushed the door open and peered up and down the corridor, motioning to the others when he was sure that there was nobody coming towards them.

"How exactly are we going to find Merlin?" Aglovale whispered. "We can't look inside every room without alerting people to the fact that we've escaped."

"Okay, I admit that Freya said that she was going to find Merlin whilst I freed you lot," Safir explained. "She said she'd leave a sign by the dungeon door that would point the way for us to follow her."

"And you let her go on her own?" Arthur said, horrified.

"I trust her enough to know exactly what's she's doing. I know she's pregnant but I also know that she's not exactly defenceless."

"Did she say what type of sign she would leave?" Gwen asked, looking at the floor.

"She wasn't incredibly specific."

The maid knelt on the floor and pointed out some markings on one of the slabs of stone. _Third floor, other side of the Stronghold_.

"Good on you for spotting that," Kay said to Gwen. She acknowledged his words before looking at Arthur. The prince gave her a warm smile.

"We should get going," Arthur said, tearing his gaze away from Gwen.

Their journey through the first two floors went smoothly and they were able to hide from anyone passing. However, when they reached a door to the third floor that was on the other side of the Stronghold away from the dungeons, they found that their way was blocked by a large gathering of knights. Staring through the doorway, Arthur heard a lot of yelling and a number of knights flew backwards and bounced off the walls or the floor. There was also a lot of blinding light and the prince thought he saw two figures fighting their way through.

_More Freya and baby magic next chapter and I promise a reconciliation between Arthur and Merlin. Please let me know what you think._

_MerlinStar  
_

_P.S. Who's bricking it about this week's episode? I'm still in shock that they killed off Elyan as well. Plus the whole Gwen in that room with mandrake roots scared me to death! They've definitely increased the darkness in this series (though I think the phrase "the darkest hour is just before the dawn" may have some meaning).  
_


	20. Chapter 19

****_Well, this is a shock for me! Two chapters in one night. Hope you enjoy it. I actually think that there are only a few more chapters to go after this._

* * *

**Chapter 19**

The two guards outside the room, in which Merlin was, stood duty; and both ignored the numbing sensation in their legs and the stiffness in their backs. They stood to attention, wary that anything could happen. Vortigern had warned them about how powerful the boy was.

What they had not anticipated was the sudden wave of water that appeared out of nowhere and slapped both of them in the faces before they had even had the chance to call out. The force was enough to knock the pair of them out cold.

Freya walked out of the shadows and over the spreading puddle that she had created, feeling slightly guilty for leaving the two soldiers soaking wet in the middle of the corridor. But she was more concerned for Merlin.

Opening the large door, Freya hurried over to where Merlin was lying on the bed.

"Oh Merlin, what have you done?" she sighed, leaning over him. She felt horror swell inside her as she looked into Merlin's currently grey eyes.

"He's been a complete fool, if that's what you mean," a cold voice said from the doorway. Freya span around to see a woman, her head framed by chestnut brown coloured heir and her maroon eyes glistening with fury. "I felt you transport yourself into the dungeons. It's strange; I would have rescued the knights and the prince first before coming to find the boy... unless you care for him too much."

"I take it you're Lamya," Freya said, feeling her body tense.

"Correct, but I'm afraid I don't know you're name." The sorceress' brow furrowed in concentration for a moment or to, staring at Freya. Nothing happened.

"It seems that you are immune to my gift, just as the boy is."

Freya said nothing but continued to hold eye contact with Lamya, considering the possibilities of what the sorceress' next act would be.

However, before she could begin to formulate any scenarios, there was a blinding pain in her stomach and she collapsed, crying out as the anguish took her by surprise. She clutched her stomach and wondered what on earth the baby was doing now.

Initially startled by Freya falling to the floor like that, Lamya's expression became one of vindictive glee, and she walked forwards towards the panting girl. Freya tried to summon the strength to cast a spell but she was stopped by another wave of pain in her midriff, and she lay on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Merlin," she whimpered, casting her gaze over to where Merlin was still lying. Freya was now afraid. She was afraid that Lamya would kill her and ultimately kill the child inside her; she was afraid of what these people would do to Merlin if and when he woke up; but most of all she was frightened at the idea of the thought that had just crossed her mind- her baby, Merlin's baby, was dying.

Lamya was now standing over Freya and the girl knew that her's was the last face she would ever see.

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and Lamya was thrown over Freya, towards the window. She landed feet away in an unconscious heap.

Freya, whose stomach had now stopped causing her pain, lifted her head off of the floor and stared at Merlin, who was sat up in the bed, hand held out. A look of utter fury dominated his face but the anger was replaced by concern as he leapt out of the bed and gently lifted Freya off of the floor.

"Oh, Freya," he whispered, clutching her to him. "I am so sorry."

"It's alright now, I'm fine."

"She hurt you." Merlin shot a venomous look at Lamya, which didn't suit him at all; in fact it made him look slightly comical. Freya couldn't help but giggle.

"Lamya didn't hurt me. I think it was the baby."

"What?"

"I think she can already use magic. She could have brought you out of the trance."

"I heard you. I heard you call out to me... but saying that I also felt something else pulling me away from what I was seeing."

"Merlin... it hurt... I don't know if the baby is alright... I felt as if I was losing her..." Freya shook slightly as she said this.

Merlin immediately placed a hand on her stomach and reached out. He felt the tiny life pulse underneath his hand, still as strong as ever, but now he could see the magic.

"She's fine; there is nothing wrong with her."

Freya sighed with relief.

"She's quite powerful," Merlin continued.

"I know- this is the third time she's used magic."

"The third?"

"She's possessed me twice already."

Merlin's eyes widened in astonishment, and Freya smiled at his expression.

That was when the girl felt a nagging sensation in the back of her head and she shifted her gaze towards Lamya. To her terror, the sorceress had clambered to her feet and had produced a fireball, which was balanced inside her curled fingers. Her eyes lit with malice as she looked at the two and she prepared to strike.

"NO!" Freya screamed. She felt something else take over and, within the blink of an eye, Lamya was flying out of the window and plummeting to her doom. "Oh God."

The pair rushed over to the window and stared down, spotting the broken form on the ground below them.

"Oh God," Merlin echoed. His hand found his mouth as he stared at the body beneath them.

Freya turned away and Merlin heard her sobs and held her as she broke out into a fit of hysteria.

"Oh God," Freya repeated, once she had regained control of herself. "I killed her."

"It wasn't you," Merlin said in a comforting tone. "I felt it that time; the baby knew we were in danger so she controlled you to protect us."

"I felt as if it was me who did it. I thought I'd escaped that- being a monster. It felt like I was a bastet all over again."

"Please don't say that. You are not a monster and it wasn't your doing. I know that it doesn't excuse the baby's actions, but she did it to protect us. I admit I've killed before to save the people I love and I'm not exactly proud of it."

Freya nodded and rubbed her forehead, sighing. Merlin pulled her back into the hug, staring at the ceiling.

"_I'm so sorry, Sindri_," he thought to himself.

"Let's just get out of here before Vortigern comes to see if I've woken up yet," Merlin whispered, letting go of Freya.

"We need to go and find the others first."

"Others?"

"Arthur, Gwen, Kay, Aglovale and Bors went to the faeries' castle but Lamya and Vortigern followed them. That's how you got here. Safir is just freeing Arthur and Gwen from their cell."

"Arthur's here?" Merlin frowned in confusion.

"He'll explain things when we find them." Freya smiled and Merlin returned it, the pair then leaving the room.

To their shock, they found a great number of soldiers heading down the corridor towards them.

"The other sorcerers must have felt Lamya die," Merlin muttered.

Just as the soldiers were almost bearing down on top of them, the two simultaneously threw their hands out and sent a number of them flying backwards, knocking them out as they hit the walls and floor. They slowly advanced as the number of men began to dwindle until they finally reached a door, which mysteriously opened of its own accord. Knowing that it was their only chance of escape, Merlin and Freya threw themselves through the doorway and span around to see the smiling faces of their friends.

"We may want to move," Merlin said, avoiding eye contact with Arthur. Knowing what would be chasing them, the group hurried along many corridors, trying to find a way out. It was only when they were running along a certain corridor that Merlin recognised where they were. This was the place where one of Vortigern's soldiers had shot him, whilst he had been trying to escape with a cursed and unconscious Arthur.

"Down here," he called as the others began to head down yet another corridor. The warlock led them down the staircase and through the doorway that led around the castle towards the bridge. But as they made their way around the outside of the castle, they could hear shouts coming from both directions.

"Oh great," Safir said, gripping his sword.

"One moment," Freya mumbled, her eyes squinting in concentration. Merlin knew what she was doing and joined her, both completing the spell that would get them away from there.

There was a flash of light that all but blinded them, and as they blinked and looked around, the saw that they were standing in a forest and the familiar castle turrets of Camelot could be seen through a gap in the overhead canopy.

The four knights groaned as their heads began to pound; Arthur leant against a tree and continued to blink heavily; and Gwen rubbed her forehead. The only people who were unaffected by the transportation was Merlin and Freya.

"I see what you meant," Kay mumbled to Safir. "I've never had a headache like this before."

"It'll pass," Safir said.

"I think I'll stick with a horse in future," Arthur said, standing straight again. He caught Merlin's eye and the two stared at each other, both unsure of what to say.

Gwen spotted the uneasiness between the two and made a point of talking to Freya. "I think you should go and see Gaius, he's probably really worried, and you may want him to check you and the baby. I'll come with you."

Freya frowned at this and was about to speak when she saw Arthur and Merlin. Her mouth opened slightly and she nodded, turning away after allowing herself to gaze at Merlin's expression for a few more seconds. She wondered what would happen.

"We should go and report to Geraint," Safir said to the other knights, "otherwise he'll have us doing extra training or something like that for the next month." He made a pointed glance at the prince and the warlock out of the corner of his eye and the others took the hint. They too left. Arthur and Merlin were now completely alone in the clearing.

The two continued to look at each other intently, waiting for the other to say something first. Eventually, Arthur began to say "I'm sorry" at exactly the same time Merlin said "I should have told you". The pair stopped short and looked embarrassed; Merlin's cheeks flushing a bright pink and briefly hung his head, allowing a small smile to cross his lips.

"You first," the warlock said, shyly. Arthur sighed.

"I shouldn't have done that; it was wrong and there was no excuse for it. I may have been upset about my father and the fact that I was born of magic but that doesn't mean I should have thrown you away. What I said wasn't fair and I don't know how I could have blamed you and magic for something that my parents had done willingly before either of us was even born. I just hope you can forgive me for my actions."

"Arthur, if I had told you then none of this would have happened."

"But as you said, I would have killed my father and destroyed myself in the process. You were trying to protect me."

"Maybe I shouldn't have; you're not exactly a child anymore, and you deserve to know the truth. Speaking of which, I know why Morgause and Morgana hate your father so much, apart from the law against magic."

"I know, my father fell in love with Gorlois' wife and he didn't send him help so that he could be with her."

"How did you find out?"

"Gaius explained everything, including that my mother couldn't conceive after she had Morgana. How did you?"

"I wanted to know what had happened that had caused so many people to turn on each other, so when I reached the castle, I used the crystal to help me see everything, which would explain the trance I was in."

"We were wondering what on earth that was about."

Merlin chuckled, softly, and scratched his temple. Arthur suddenly recalled the time at Tintagel when the warlock had saved him and Safir from the Howler; the boy in front of him, falling down the stairs with the creature. Arthur suddenly felt the entire impact of what he had done. Merlin had thrown himself in harm's way for him and he had banished him. What had he been thinking?

"I'm sorry for allowing you to be captured by Vortigern as well," Merlin said.

"Merlin, don't you dare. I am in the wrong and you have to accept the fact that you are not. We led Vortigern there, though I honestly have no idea how he knew we left; we were all disguised."

"You don't think someone in Camelot..." Merlin's face suddenly widened with apprehension.

"No, I know that nobody in this city would. Those who were alive back then remember what he did to many families, and I should have thought that they would never have passed this information on. My father used to tell me about what Vortigern had done before he had claimed the kingdom. But that's not really what's important at the moment."

Merlin nodded.

"Can I just say," Arthur continued, "that I didn't mean what I said. I am going to remove my father's law about magic being punishable by death; that wasn't fair either. Neither you or anybody else should have to suffer because I lost my temper over something my father did."

"Thank you Arthur," Merlin said, smiling warmly.

"So... we're not going to argue now, involving you turning me upside down in mid-air?"

Merlin snorted. "Or you beating me at yet another duel."

Arthur held out his hand. Merlin's grin widened and he grasped Arthur's outstretched arm. Arthur smiled for the first time.

"Seriously though, we do need to sort out your fighting skills," Arthur said. The prince clapped the warlock on the shoulder, the latter wobbling slightly because of the impact and they laughed.

"So I thought I told you that you were banished from the kingdom," Arthur commented, jokingly, as they began to walk back towards the city.

"You really didn't think that I'd leave entirely, did you? What sort of a person would that make me?"

"Somebody who actually obeyed orders for once." Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur's sarcasm. "I should have guessed that you'd stay- you wouldn't be able to cope with staying too far away from Freya."

Merlin was silent at this but Arthur could see him blush slightly. The prince could momentarily see through Merlin's feelings for the girl- how deeply he loved her, which was shown in the dazed and glassy look that Merlin's eyes had sustained. Arthur, despite himself, didn't mock his friend for it. Merlin would finally accept his feelings when he was ready.

"I didn't want to leave any of you. If I had left, I might as well have dropped the axe on your necks. I'm not saying that you wouldn't put up a good fight without me... but Vortigern has Nimueh and Morgause and Morgana, and they could kill everyone in an instance. If I had just left and run away from everything then I would have knowingly lost everyone I care about far before it ended."

"I'm not complaining," Arthur said. "This is your home and you're not one to run away even though you can behave like an idiot at times."

"Oh, so I'm still an idiot, am I? In that case, you definitely are a prat."

"Shut up Merlin."

Arthur made to push the warlock, but Merlin was too quick for him, so he left it.

By the time they reached the gates, a huge number of the knights were gathered there, obviously wondering where the two were. Dagonet was standing with Bors and Safir.

"We were beginning to think that Morgana had got a hold of you," Safir said, trying to make this thought light-hearted. "That was one hell of a discussion you were having." The knight briefly smiled at the pair, but his face soon fell.

"What's happened?" Arthur asked, hoping against hope that nothing bad had happened. He was wrong to think this.

"Whilst you were looking for Merlin," Dagonet explained. "The patrol yesterday came back from the northern border. It looks as if Vortigern is raising an army."

There was shocked silence as Merlin and Arthur turned from the knight to look at each other and back.

Merlin suddenly realised what this meant. The vision he had had when he had been in the Crystal Cave was coming true. Winter was coming- he could feel it in the air. It marked the battle that would ultimately decide the future of Camelot.

"In winter though?" Safir asked. "It's suicide. Nobody would win."

"They could if they used magic," Dagonet said, turning his gaze to Merlin. "They'd be able to make the conditions a bit less harsh."

"Vortigern has Morgana, Morgause _and _Nimueh now," Arthur argued. "That almost makes it fair."

"I bet Merlin is still a lot more powerful than they are. What about his friend?"

"She's not getting involved," Merlin declared. "She's pregnant."

"Fair enough, it was just an idea."

"How soon can we ready the army and move away from the city?" Arthur queried, pacing in front of them, deep in thought.

"A week, maybe less," Dagonet replied. "But… Sire, from what the men said, this is far beyond the army of Camelot. They've amassed mercenaries, a number of sorcerers, those Howler-things and by the looks of things… giants."

"Giants?"

"Exactly Sire. I'm sorry to say that I've never fought against a giant before and I think the same can be said for every other soldier."

"And that means that we should just give up?" Arthur stopped, mid-stride, folding his arms across his chest. "You think that we should let them destroy our homes and families just because they have some magical creatures? Even if we didn't have Merlin, I'd take every man I had out into the field and _fight_ until we had all fallen. It doesn't matter that these people and creatures have magic, we have the allegiances that they could never understand."

Dagonet and Safir were slightly taken aback, but Merlin grinned. Here was proof that Arthur deserved to be the Once and Future King. He was not going to go without a fight and the warlock felt incredibly proud of his friend.

"Dagonet, Safir, I want the pair of you to get word out to our allies- King Olaf and anybody else- and see if they will help us. This threat is against the other kingdoms as well, not just us. Morgana and Vortigern will not stop there, especially since they also have Morgause and Nimueh to fuel their ambitions. Get Kay to go back to his home and rally his men. With any luck, that should be enough to go against them without being slaughtered outright."

Safir didn't even crack a joke before he ran away to carry out his king's orders, Dagonet following after him.

Turning to Merlin, the prince was surprised to see that his friend was smiling. He frowned.

"Even when things seem hopeless, you've always fought on," Merlin said, explaining his facial expression. "Anyone who knows you and isn't proud of you is a fool."

Arthur was mildly startled by this.

"We will beat them," he growled. "We cannot let them win. Camelot has a destiny to fulfil and I will not let that fail, even if I have to go to hell and back."

"And you thought it weird when I had fits of wisdom." For that, he received a cuff on the head.

"But you always revert back to being an idiot."

The warlock rolled his eyes in mock disdain, then realised something. If Arthur was to survive, then he was going to need all of the help that he could get. That only meant one thing.

"Still… once we've double-checked on everyone, I need to show you something."

"Can I ask what?"

"No- it's a surprise."

* * *

"You shoved Excalibur in a _rock_!?"

Merlin flinched at Arthur outbreak as they made their way across the countryside.

Once they had regrouped with everyone else in Gaius' chambers, the old man hugging Merlin fiercely when he had walked through the door, the warlock had explained that the pair of them needed to go to Stonehenge. He had then cast a spell that sent them there, though they were a little way off. The prince had shuddered when he had seen the looming pillars. This had been the place where he had seen his father's mangled body and that was something he desperately wanted to forget.

"If I hadn't, Morgana would have probably got a hold of it- we were captured, thanks. I asked-"

"You asked a _rock_ to look after my sword?"

"Is it so impossible for you not to believe?"

"_A rock_, Merlin."

"It doesn't make any difference, and you may want to keep your voice down. He may not be very happy if he hears you."

Arthur was gobsmacked at this statement. How could one hurt a _rock's_ feelings? Well, sitting on it might do the job.

Soon, they entered the outer circle of Stonehenge, the monuments of stone towering over them, echoing the strength of the magic that had put them there.

Both men then spotted the helm of Excalibur, gleaming in the faint light of dawn coming from the horizon.

"How am I meant to get it out?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows. "I can't exactly pull metal out of solid rock. Unlike some, I can't use magic."

"You won't need to."

With an encouraging nod from Merlin, the prince went up to the rock and put one foot against it, preparing to pull the sword from the stone.

There was a sudden laughter and Arthur jumped back, goggling as the Rock of Ages' eye opened, staring from him to Merlin.

"I see you survived, Emrys." He chuckled. "Few who ever went to Brocéliande came back."

"Merlin, what is this?" Arthur muttered, gazing at the Rock of Ages with a wary expression.

"I am the Rock of Ages, Pendragon. I have lain here and dreamed of things that have long been forgotten as the world ages and turns, from the Beginning of Time itself. Your friend, Emrys, asked me to look after your sword until you came for it. I am a being of my word and I return Excalibur to you."

The huge eye closed and the Rock of Ages went still. Hesitantly, Arthur stepped up to Excalibur and pulled. Merlin could hear it sliding out of the Rock's clenched hand.

"The sword is yours," the Rock of Ages said just as Excalibur left its hand.

At that moment, the sun shone over a distant mountain, bathing the prince and the sword in pure sunlight. The warlock looked on, smiling as Arthur held the sword over his head. The whole of Stonehenge was lit with the magical glow. The reign of Arthur Pendragon had finally begun, but so had the battle for Camelot, Albion and the future.

* * *

_Please R&R_

_MerlinStar  
_


	21. Chapter 20

_YAY! New chapter! I'm currently going in between this and Heirs of the Lost, so it may be a while until I can update this. I'm also sorry that this update's a bit short, but I had to end it before it got down to serious business. Hehe! I'm evil, aren't I?_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

The gentle breeze was as cold as the ice that dangled from roofs and parapets, enveloping anyone who went outside in a chill that had them shivering within seconds. The ground was a white canvas that stretched from the city to the forest and beyond, leaving no stone or leaf untouched. Winter had finally arrived and Camelot was preparing for the battle that would decide their fate.

Arthur was currently in the courtyard, trying to ignore the almost overwhelming cold as he watched the many mounts of Olaf's army amass in front of him. The king himself was wrapped in a thick fur, which did not seem to hinder him as he dismounted and walked up to Arthur, his face grim.

"Thank you for coming, Olaf," Arthur welcomed, clasping the elder's arm in a firm grip.

Olaf nodded, a small smile appearing on his lips. "I'm sorry about your father, Arthur. He was a good man. And I was sorry to hear about… ah, his ward."

The pair turned and strode into the relative warmth of the castle, leaving Hoel and Tor to deal with Olaf's army.

"How far away are they?" Olaf asked, whilst shaking off his cloak.

"Our scouts report that they're camping two days away. We need to leave tonight if we are to stop them from getting anywhere near the citadel."

"Arthur." The king stopped in his tracks and Arthur turned to face him. "I have heard about what they have with them- unsavoury creatures, such as giants. Not only that, but they have three sorceresses. _Three_ and all of them are High Priestesses of the Old Religion. No matter how many men you muster, there is no hope against such magic."

Arthur sighed. He knew that he would have had to tell Olaf sooner or later, but he was hoping that Merlin would have been here to help him explain.

"The High Priestesses are followers of a greater power, Olaf. Have you ever heard of Ma'ab?"

Olaf blanched. After he had regained his composure, a hand went to his forehead. "You're not telling me that that witch is fighting against us as well? You should have said. If Ma'ab is involved then we'll all be killed before the battle starts. I'm surprised that we're even still alive."

Arthur grimaced. Yep, he definitely wished that Merlin was here to give him a hand, not that he would ever let the warlock know that. "But you know who she is?"

"The Queen of the Old Religion."

"Not anymore, she isn't. Besides, she wasn't a threat to begin with."

The king frowned.

"Ma'ab may have been the most powerful being ever, but that was the only reason she was feared. She spent her final months trying to help us against an attack from Vortigern and the others. She passed on her powers to her heir, and we're lucky enough that he himself is an ally of Camelot."

"I didn't even know that she had an heir."

"Something tells me that she wouldn't have openly talked about."

"But can we trust this heir? He could easily turn against us and then we would be destroyed."

"I trust my servant with my life."

"Your _servant_?"

Arthur held up a hand when he saw that Olaf was going to say something that he may regret.

"Merlin has risked his life a great many times for the protection of this kingdom- so many that I think we've all lost count, even him. With him, Vortigern and the others will have a hard time defeating us. I know that he would rather die than let this kingdom fall." He was not sure if the other man was convinced. "Olaf, I wouldn't have asked you to help if I knew that we had no chance of survival against this, but we do. I will still be your ally if you chose to walk away from this, though I implore to stay. If you help then that will save many more lives than if you hadn't."

"My people have never run away from a fight." Olaf shook his head, but beamed at the prince. "I shall help you, Arthur… though I have one issue."

Arthur nodded, inclining his head. He knew what was coming.

"Magic, Arthur. After everything that your father did to exterminate it?"

"He was wrong. My father's beliefs were due to something he had been responsible for a long time ago. I cannot follow his beliefs now that I know what good magic is capable of."

"You forget the evil."

"It is neither good nor evil. It is like the swords we carry- a tool that we can use to protect or to kill. If we persecute magic then we may as well do the same to anyone who has ever handled a weapon or even healed the sick."

Olaf shook his head. "I'm still not entirely sure about this, Arthur."

"I'm not asking you to change what you believe in, Olaf, only that you help us protect Camelot from being overrun by her enemies."

"Very well… I will have my men prepare to leave by sundown."

* * *

"No! There is no way in heaven or earth that you're coming!"

"You can't exactly stop me, Merlin."

The grey sky was beginning to darken now and snow was tumbling down in thick pellets. However, Merlin and Freya were oblivious to this as they stood at opposite ends of the warlock's room, arguing. Much to Merlin's displeasure, Freya was adamant that she wanted to help in the battle, a decision that he had voiced against.

"Gwen is not coming and neither are any of the other women."

"None of the other women have magic!"

"That's beside the point Freya."

"What is the point then? I shouldn't fight because I'm a woman? You think that someone will immediately take advantage of me the moment that my back is turned?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Actually, I'm having difficulty understanding why you're against me helping you and _Camelot_. Every single time that you have gone off recently, you have ended up injured or on the verge of death, never mind that you're the Leader of the Old Religion. If I'm there then I can give you more help against Morgana, Morgause _and _Nimueh; and that's not even including Vortigern and his sorcerers. What makes you think that you'll be able to take them on all at once?"

"If you're there then you're a target and they'll hurt you and the baby."

"Do you really think that I want to wait here and pray that you come back alive? Not just for our daughter's sake, but for mine as well."

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!"

Freya stood there in stunned silence as Merlin placed his head in his hands. He then walked up to her and leant his forehead against hers. The warlock held her gaze and Freya found it impossible to look away, not that she wanted to. She could gladly swim in those intense depths for an eternity.

"I can't… I _will_ not lose you again. I don't care if I have to tear apart the universe to do it, but I'd do everything… _anything_ to keep you safe. It's you and the others that keep me sane and I know that if I lose you or let you go into harm's way and you don't make it back that will I lose myself. It came so close with Lamya. When I woke up, I thought I was seconds away from having my world taken away from me… I swore to myself that I wouldn't let you be hurt like that again… I don't want to even think what those three would try to do to you if they knew… It's too painful because…"

Freya's felt her eyes widen. Despite the seriousness in his expression, Merlin's cheeks had flushed a light pink and his eyes had now adopted an ethereal shine that fluttered in the dim light. A pale hand went to her cheek and she could feel the thumb stroke back and forth.

"Gods, Freya, I love you. These last few months have been the happiest of my life, even if Vortigern and Morgana keep trying to destroy everything, and I wouldn't change that for the world."

Even as he spoke, Freya felt her face lighten up and her mouth spread into a grin. Merlin loved her. She had hoped that he had and they were going to have a baby. But just by him saying it made it all the more real for her and, even with the prospect of a chaotic battle, she could not stop the rush of joy from surging through her core.

To Merlin's slight surprise, she silenced him with a slow and passionate kiss, clinging to him as if she had never held him before. Allowing instinct to override everything else, the warlock responded, relishing in Freya's presence and the brief peace that had been brought, curving himself so that he wouldn't disturb her round belly.

All too soon, they broke apart, but continued to hold each other close.

"I love you," Freya echoed, her voice barely a whisper, leaning against his chest.

"Then you definitely can't come."

"Merlin, as much as I do love you, you have to realise that you don't have to be the protector all of the time."

"With my life, that's impossible."

"You still need someone to watch your back once in a while."

"I think Safir's got that covered for you."

Freya had to laugh. The friendship between Merlin and Safir had further grown within the last few days and she was glad to see that there was someone else who Merlin could call a friend. Safir had even taken to follow Merlin around when the servant went with Arthur to discuss tactics with Olaf, seeming to think that the warlock would be in danger of attack from the other king's forces. Freya would only ever admit to herself that she and Safir shared their fears in that area- some were still sceptical of accepting the help of the Leader of the Old Religion.

"Gwen will probably need you."

"True... Just… make sure that Gaius is alright as well."

"You can count on that."

* * *

The atmosphere was cold as they rode out of Camelot, reflecting the icy chill of the morning as the sun began to creep over the horizon, casting a dim light on the white landscape. The silence seemed to seep through their armour and none of the knights could think of anything to discuss, all of them too engrossed with thoughts of the oncoming battle, wondering what would be facing them when they reached the river.

Merlin rode next to Safir behind Arthur and Olaf, who were at the head of the massive army that had congregated in the courtyard the previous night. The warlock glanced back as the turrets of Camelot disappeared behind the dense foliage of the forest, hiding it from sight. He wondered whether he would see it, and Freya, ever again.

The river where they knew Morgana, Morgause and Vortigern's army was heading was less than a day's ride, which allowed no time for them to brace themselves. The minute that they arrived, they would be enveloped in the battle.

Merlin could sense that everybody else's mood was tense and fearful of what horrors they might face. He couldn't blame them. None here apart from him had magic.

To his surprise, halfway through the day, Arthur called the immense army to a halt.

"I need you, Kay and Safir," the prince muttered to him, leading the way towards a mouldering log, where Olaf was already laying out a map.

Once the other two had joined them, Olaf explained. "If we're correct in thinking, they'll start off on the eastern shore." He gestured. "The ice should be thick enough to allow them to cross as speed along with whatever they've brought, apart from any catapults, which they'd most likely keep near the forest boundary behind them."

"Olaf and I will lead the left and middle flanks," Arthur explained. "Kay, I need you to take your men and support us at the back with the archers and the artillery."

"Of course." Kay gave a firm nod and the two friends shared a brief glance.

"Safir, I need you on the right," Arthur carried on. "Take Hoel and Bors with you and see if you edge your way round to the back of their forces."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem. What about this idiot?" He gestured at Merlin, grinning at the dumbfounded expression on the warlock's face.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "The _idiot_, as you call him, will be doing all he can to help us defeat the other army."

"I thought we were at war," Merlin sighed. "Clearly not if you have time to boss me around and insult me."

"Well I am your boss."

"And I'm the Leader of the Old Religion."

"And I'm the one who'll have you mucking out the stables _without magic_ for a month if we survive this, if you're not careful."

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

Safir was trying his hardest not to laugh, whilst Kay had a hand on his forehead. Olaf, meanwhile, looked nonplussed.

"I've only been around them for a few days," Kay whispered to the befuddled king. "I've heard that this barely scratches the surface- it can be a _lot_ worse."

"You don't have to live with them," Safir chuckled on the quiet, before raising his voice. "Ladies, what was that about there being a war?"

Merlin and Arthur stopped their bickering and turned to face him, their eyebrows raised in a mirror image. This did little to help Safir keep his composure- he had to step away so that they would not see his fit of laughter.

They were about to re-saddle and carry on their voyage towards the river, however Merlin was stopped by Olaf.

"Is something wrong, Sire?" the warlock asked, his brow furrowing.

Olaf seemed to contemplate him for a moment. "From what I've heard, you are equal to any king in the world, and yet you still address me as a servant would."

"I am one. I'm a servant of the Earth and of magic, but more importantly, I'm Arthur's servant and I have no plans on changing that. That means that I should show the same courtesy to anyone who is equal to him."

"It's just… I've never seen a more loyal person, even if your kind has been hunted to extinction."

"I believe that it can change. Arthur has known for a while after all."

"I still say that the pair of you are strange."

"Believe me when I say that you're not the first person to think that, and I know why. Most people don't understand why I'm so loyal to Arthur. It's because I know that he is going to make a better world for all of us and I'd give my life to see that he does it."

Olaf nodded. "When he first told me who you were, I have to say that I was sceptical. I still haven't heard of everything you've done for this kingdom, but there are stories."

"Most of what you've heard is probably just stories. I doubt I'd have made it this far without Arthur, Gaius and everyone else, so I definitely can't take all of the credit."

Olaf regarded him once more. He said nothing more to the warlock, but turned to mount his horse as Arthur called for the men to move on.

* * *

The wind was bitter against their faces as the soldiers of Camelot and her allies lined against the one side of the frozen river, their teeth and chain mail chattering and chinking in the cold. Within minutes, their hands were numb; making them wonder what had caused this worse drop in the weather. Was magic at work?

Merlin ignored the murmurs surrounding him, fully aware that this was nature at work and not the forces of Morgana, Morgause or Nimueh- the warlock would have felt such a disturbance. He merely gazed ahead at the other side of the solid body of water.

And waited.

All too soon, they could hear the stomping of the oncoming enemy, which appeared over the brow of the hill as a thick black swarm. Merlin cursed to himself. The other army had a number of Howlers, which would make things a lot worse for Camelot as only he and Arthur would be able to deal with them.

The prince seemed to be in the same frame of mind.

"You take care of the Howlers and leave the rest of the army to us," Arthur whispered to his servant.

"Now where would the fun be in that?" Merlin gave a mischievous grin at Arthur's expression. "Well, I'm not exactly going to sit back once I've dealt with them."

"Funny Merlin- you'll definitely be in the stocks if we get back."

"_When _we get back."

Arthur caught the now serious gleam in Merlin's eyes and nodded. "When."

The pair gave a final nod to each other and looked back at their foes, feeling hopeful as to what the outcome of this battle could be.

That was when the warlock spotted him. A dark menace against the pale grey sky, Vortigern sat majestically on his horse, surveying the armies of Camelot. His eyes soon found Merlin's and they stared at each other, both unwilling to look away first. The warlock could tell that Vortigern would go for him first, but Merlin did not feel as if he wanted to oblige. He had things to deal with first.

Arthur then raised Excalibur over his head and brought it down past his head. With a united bellow, the men surged final.

All hell broke loose.

* * *

_Please R&R, I'm open to comments. The next chapter will contain some serious action._

_MerlinStar_


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